Table of contents for 19 July 2019 in Farmer's Weekly

If I had to draw a single conclusion from the ‘Agricultural Outlook: 2019 to 2028’ published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations at the beginning of July, it would be that South African farmers will require much better assistance from government if they are to remain globally competitive. One of the report’s major findings was that inflation-adjusted prices (real prices) of the major agricultural commodities would remain at or below their current levels over the next decade as productivity growth will outpace demand growth. Most of the commodities covered in the outlook were expected to see real price declines over the coming decade of around 1% to 2% per year. Prices for beef, lamb and mutton were expected to decline…

Vaccinating against West Nile fever Dear Dr Mac, I read your interesting Farmer’s Weekly article (14 June) regarding West Nile fever and am writing to you for your opinion. I’m importing two Warmblood horses into Johannesburg at the end of July, and am trying to decide whether I should have them vaccinated against West Nile fever. They will have to stay in quarantine for four weeks upon arrival in Johannesburg (quarantine ends 26 August) and will then make their way down to the Western Cape, which is West Nile-free. As they will be arriving in winter, when there should be very few mosquitoes, I am a little undecided whether I should vaccinate or not. Kind regards, Catherine Hasler Dear Catherine, I don’t think you will face much risk of West…

The expansion in most agricultural subsectors in South Africa has been export-driven, particularly in the horticulture sector. As this sector is labour-intensive, this expansion has also created jobs and compensated for the dwindling labour participation trend in other agricultural subsectors over the past few decades due to technology advancement and consolidation of farms. The gains in horticulture have largely been the reason South Africa’s agricultural jobs have been stable over the past decade, bringing the average number employed in the industry to 767 000 between 2008 and 2018. Of late, a number of policymakers have expressed a desire to see agriculture continue to play a pivotal role in rural economic growth and job creation through increased production. While boosting production is conceivable if the focus is not only on boosting…

Zwelivelile Mandela has been elected head of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform. This committee is responsible for oversight of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, as well as the following statutory entities: the Agricultural Research Council, National Agricultural Marketing Council, Perishable Products Export Control Board, Ncera Farms, Onderstepoort Biological Products, South African Veterinary Council, Communal Property Council, Commission on Restitution of Land Rights, Office of the Valuer-General and the Ingonyama Trust Board. Annelize Crosby, head of policy for land affairs at Agri SA, said reaction to his appointment was largely positive. A CONFLICT OF INTEREST MAY ARISE Mandela had previously represented the ANC in the National Assembly on the Portfolio Committee of Agriculture, as well as the Portfolio Committee of Rural Development…

It is expected that final volumes and prices of South Africa’s citrus exports for the current marketing season will be varied. Midseason analyses showed that South Africa’s grapefruit and orange exports were likely to decline this year compared with 2018, while soft citrus and lemon exports were achieving strong growth. Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA), recently reported that updated estimates for total 2019 citrus exports (of 15kg boxes) were 15,7 million boxes for grapefruit (2018: 18,8 million); 24,5 million boxes for navel oranges (2018: 26,7 million); and 51,8 million boxes for Valencia oranges (2018: 54,4 million). However, soft citrus was expected to increase to 18,3 million boxes from 16,2 million boxes in 2018, while lemons were expected to increase to 21,4 million from…

Significant concessions made by the outgoing leadership of the EU regarding a major bilateral trade deal concluded with South America’s Mercosur (Southern Common Market) countries are being labelled as double standards by COPA-COGECA, which represents EU farmers and agricultural co-operatives. A statement issued by COPACOGECA said that considering the “huge” differences between the two blocs in their legal standards for agricultural production, significantly increased EU imports of Mercosur agricultural products resulting from the trade deal would “de facto establish double standards and unfair competition for some key European [agricultural] production sectors, putting their viability at stake”. The EU was internationally renowned for its increasingly strict laws pertaining to socially and environmentally acceptable practices, such as improved animal welfare and declining agrochemicals use, in its farming value chain. According to COPA-COGECA,…

Pick n Pay is trialling a loose fruit and vegetable initiative in 13 stores across the country to measure customers’ readiness to switch from prepackaged food to so-called ‘nude’ products. The retailer was selling brown steak mushrooms, portabellini mushrooms, red and green chillies, cocktail tomatoes, sweet Palermo peppers, baby brinjals, green beans, broccoli, zucchini, sweetcorn, and baby cabbage without plastic packaging. These 12 seasonal fruit and vegetables joined the other 35 loose fruit and vegetables already available to customers. According to Paula Disberry, group commercial director at Pick n Pay, currently only 10% of all fruit and vegetables sold by the retailer were sold as loose products. “Although our loose produce range was previously not as popular as our prepacked products, we believe that this is shifting as consumers are…

The provincial government in Gauteng is planning to invest around R240 million in the commercialisation of 53 emerging farmers over the next five years. This was according to the Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Agriculture and Environment Dr Kgosientso Ramokgopa, who presented the provincial government’s vision for growing the economy over the next five years during a media breakfast meeting held at the Gauteng Gambling Board recently. He said South Africa had the enormous task of addressing the challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality. Over the past 10 years, South Africa’s economy had grown by an average of only 1,5% per annum, with its highest growth recorded in 2011, when the GDP increased 3,7%. While Gauteng has remained the key driver for economic growth in the country, it has also…

Many pig farmers think that once a sow has been impregnated by a boar, she does not require any more ‘special maintenance’. This is not the case. Sows that are emaciated (very thin) or obese (very fat) can develop a number of health problems. Sows that have had difficult pregnancies or struggled to raise piglets may develop long-term complications that can affect the profitability of your farming operation. Remember, too, that a mother that gives birth to, say, 12 or more piglets will need reserves in the form of some body fat just prior to giving birth. If you were to score a pig’s body condition between one and five, a sow should be maintained at three (neither too thin nor too fat) for most of her pregnancy. Generally, a…

Howard Blight, the founder and chairperson of Agricolleges International, is convinced that agricultural training will enable the youth to make a living in the countryside rather than migrating to the cities with false hope. “As the primary economic activity in rural areas, agriculture has a significant role to play in reshaping the country. But a lack of quality graduates at diploma level is placing the agricultural industry in a crisis that will ultimately threaten food security and stability in Africa,” he says. Blight, who runs a nursery for macadamias, avocados and dragon fruit, and established a primary school on his farm some years ago, was one of the founding members of Stanford Lake College in Magoebaskloof, Limpopo. He adds that there are not enough tertiary places for school-leavers, and new…

To make tuna sandwiches for four people, you’ll need: FOR THE SANDWICH A loaf of sourdough bread, such as ciabatta 2 cans of tuna Mayonnaise 2 anchovy fillets 2 spring onions 6 olives 2 large ripe tomatoes 6 capers 1 head of lettuce 1 ripe avocado FOR THE CRUNCHY QUICK PICKLES 1 cucumber 12 green beans 2 cloves of garlic 3 thin slices of onion 60ml rice vinegar or white distilled vinegar 12g white sugar 2g salt Don’t use white or brown bread for this recipe, as neither will cope with the structural pressures of the tuna mix. Sourdough breads are tougher and unlikely to dump the tuna filling in your lap. What’s more, the irregular holes in sourdough bread trap pockets of unexpected, concentrated flavour. 1 We begin with…

‘Vanishing airtime’ is a common occurrence. Many smartphone users fail to notice that they have used up their mobile data bundle and continue using data while incurring out-of-bundle charges. As result of widespread complaints, regulatory body ICASA recently introduced legislation that requires service providers to seek customers’ consent before automatically depleting their airtime balance and charging exorbitant out-of-bundle rates. UNSCRUPULOUS A major cause of unexplained airtime disappearance is the proliferation of fraudulent wireless application service providers (WASPs), many of which secretly subscribe thousands of unsuspecting cellular users to their content subscription services every month. Service providers supply the WASPs with the ability to bill subscribers’ accounts for services, something often exploited without subscribers’ knowledge or consent. By default, all South African SIM cards are open to WASP billing. The onus…

Plastic is cheap compared with other materials such as paper, metal and glass. It has many more applications than these materials, and also prolongs shelf life, an advantage that is relevant to the fresh produce industry. However, there is a dark side to this: plastic packaging is the number one debris found in the environment, and its impact is devastating. Worldwide, about nine million tons of plastic are released into the environment each year. In addition to plastic found in the ocean and being indigested by various marine animals, there are also less obvious impacts. Recent research has found that the chemicals leaching from plastic debris into the oceans disrupt the life cycles of the photosynthetic bacteria that produce oxygen for the planet. If every second breath we take comes…

African horse sickness (AHS) was particularly severe this year, with 236 cases reported from January to June in Gauteng alone. The well-known, non-profit South African Lipizzaners in Kyalami was also affected, with four horses dying of AHS, and one horse managing to survive the virus with veterinary treatment. As the virus is spread by biting midges, insect repellent is imperative in the control of the disease. There is no cure for AHS, and horses are vaccinated once a year against the virus. In this regard, the Lipizzaner centre is thus appealing to the public for donations so the centre can buy fly spray and medication to prevent and treat any other cases of AHS. If you are interested in donating, please call 079 716 4792.…

The office of the Public Protector under Thuli Madonsela was lauded as an island of democracy, fairness and the rule of law in a sea of state capture and corruption. The Public Protector’s credibility was restored and the office’s powers affirmed by the Chief Justice and the Constitutional Court. Given President Cyril Ramaphosa’s intent to repair and uphold the independence and functions of state institutions, he cannot dismiss current Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane as a political hack, despite the scathing High Court judgments that set aside two of her high-profile investigation reports. Now it seems that Mkhwebane is gunning for Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, who is seemingly Ramaphosa’s chief corruption fighter. In a recent report, Mkhwebane ruled that an alleged rogue intelligence unit, established at the South African…

The Black Producers’ Commercialisation Programme (BPCP) Blended Finance (BF) facility, managed by the Land Bank and sponsored by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), has reportedly been suspended only months after being implemented. This was according to a draft of a confidential letter addressed to BPCP BF applicants, and signed by the acting executive manager of the Land Bank’s Commercial Development Business Bank division, Sydney Soundy. While not dated, the letter, which Farmer’s Weekly has seen, was written recently, according to a reliable source. In the letter, Soundy said that the BPCP BF facility used grants from the DALRRD “to complement loans provided by financial institutions, and was developed to improve access and affordability of finance to black commercial producers in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries…

About 200 members of the potato industry in Spain recently attended the first Conference on the Future of Potatoes in Medina del Campo. One of the topics discussed was the imminent ban on the anti-germinating agent chlorpropham, used in the tuber industry to prevent germination during storage. The European Commission was set to ban chlorpropham as the industry had not obtained renewal of its authorisation. EU member states were set to withdraw authorisation for all plant protection products containing chlorpropham as an active substance by 8 October 2020. Cosme Catalán of Patatas Catalán said alternatives such as ethylene or peppermint extract had been studied for years, but the results were inconclusive. “The increase in the cost of these phytosanitary products is a real stumbling block. Likewise, storing potatoes at low…

Citrus and grape by-products that are normally treated as waste and generally disposed of in landfills could be used to create natural food preservatives, according to findings of an interdisciplinary study at Stellenbosch University (SU). The study was recently published in the open access journal Sustainability. The study found that grape and citrus processing by-products were sustainable sources of bioactive phytochemicals, which played an important role in preserving food quality by retaining flavour, colour, texture and nutrients. Phytochemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of extracts from grape pomace, seeds and clementine mandarin peel and pulp grown in South Africa were analysed. In a statement, the lead researcher of the study, Dr Cletos Mapiye from the Department of Animal Sciences at SU, said that grape extracts contained the largest amounts of…

Global food prices declined marginally in June, as lower prices of dairy products and vegetable oils more than offset a significant jump in maize quotations, and are now very close to their level of a year ago, according to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The FAO Food Price Index, which tracked monthly changes in the global prices of commonly traded food commodities, averaged 173 points in June, which was 0,3% down month-on-month. The FAO Cereal Price Index rose 6,7% in June. Frank Nyakairu, the global communications officer at the FAO, said this was due to expectations of much tighter maize export supplies from the US, which pushed quotations for maize and wheat up. Rice prices were broadly stable. “Sugar prices rose 4,2%…

Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA) has requested urgent clarification from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on compliance-related matters. According to Adri Kitshoff-Botha, CEO of WRSA, there was still a lot of uncertainty about the mandate of each department and with whose standards wildlife rangers needed to comply. The wildlife industry was currently under the jurisdiction of the department of environment, whose regulatory system treated an individual wildlife ranger on the same basis as national game parks. “In many cases, there are legislation and permit systems in place that hamper the ranger’s ability to trade his/her own wildlife,” Kitshoff-Botha explained. According to Kitshoff-Botha, wildlife rangers agreed on the importance of having fewer restrictions for the trade and movement of…

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development will be embarking on roadshows to meet pork producers, affected communities and the public to educate them about the dangers, prevention and transmission of African swine fever (ASF). This follows outbreaks of ASF in North West, Gauteng, Free State and Mpumalanga. The roadshows were planned with assistance from the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation, and will provide information on the risk of feeding pigs kitchen waste and buying stock from unknown sources, the risk to public health, symptoms of the disease, and prevention and control measures. Events will take place during July in the Free State (Xhariep, Thabo Mofutsanyana and Mangaung) and North West (Bojanala, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati and Ngaka Modiri Molema). • Phone Dr Mpho Maja on…

Farmers in other countries enjoy government support in cases of adverse climate; South Africa’s farmers have to fend for themselves. Within organised agriculture and insurance circles, talks about disaster management risk insurance plans are continuing, but there are no visible results yet. By contrast, US maize farmers can this year elect ‘prevent plant’ and receive R5 000/ha for not planting maize. Drought affects both livestock and crop farmers. The Crop Estimates Committee currently has the 2019 maize crop at 10,9 million tons, down 13% on the previous season, and the lowest expected crop in three years. Soya bean is estimated at 1,29 million tons, down 15% on the previous season. The price of maize increased from R2 169/t in July 2018 to R2 825 in June 2019; the soya bean…

South African commercial and smallholder farmers are exposed to an environment that is not always conducive to crop production. As climate change affects their production ability, which in return may have serious consequences for food security, it is imperative that all stakeholders become involved in the safeguarding and management of this vital resource. In the absence of insurance subsidy support from government, the negative impact of climate change on farmers’ profitability, sustainability and competitiveness, and the potential uncontrolled food price hikes following the occurrence of droughts, will have an impact on society as a whole. PROGRESS ON SUBSIDISED INSURANCE MODEL Discussions have been ongoing for more than a decade about the potential for a public-private partnership to build a suitable and viable agricultural insurance model for South African farmers. The…

Example: a bull calf weighs 40kg at birth and 280kg when weaned at 200 days at the end of the weaning season. Step 1: Total weight gain (kg) from birth until weaning: 280kg - 40kg = 240kg Step 2: Average weight gain in kg/day: 240 kg/200 days = 1,2 kg/day Step 3: 205 day-weaning weight: 205 x 102kg = 246kg + (40kg birthweight) = 286kg Step 4: Weaning index for this animal (assuming that the average 205-day weight for the bull calf group was 250kg): 286/250 x 100 = 114% This indicates that the animal grew 14% better than the average male animal in the group.…

I always enjoy seeing colourful stickers on fruit. Generally, they enhance a good product, catch the eye and help boost sales. Nowadays, all the top fruit brands use stickers. I could list some of them but I’m sure readers are familiar with many of these brands. Before incurring the expense of placing stickers on your fruit, however, take the time to ask yourself some important questions. DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH OF THE BEST? The key consideration involves both quality and quantity. Quite simply, do you have a large enough supply of choice-grade fruit that can be further enhanced with an attractive sticker? It’s a waste of time and money to place stickers on anything less than the best fruit. In addition, the larger the print run, the lower the cost…

I do like a good tuna-mayo sandwich, and this one sets the bar considerably higher, beating the petrol station deli version hands down. It has a depth of flavour that does not rely merely on mayonnaise; the capers and salty hit from the anchovy lift the tuna, while the quick pickles add a little sweet-and-sour edge for the mayonnaise to complete and give creaminess. The drink of choice here is quite open, really. With the first few bites, I had a lovely light white wine: Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc, which is fresh and crisp on the palate, with gooseberry and pineapple flavours. It is made in Durbanville, which is proving to be an excellent region for the variety, with the Atlantic providing cooling influences. Diemersdal produces no fewer than nine other…

Melatonin has been called the sleep hormone, as it is linked to our daily cycle of rest and activity, and the regulation of the body’s biological rhythms. It plays an essential role in keeping the body functioning according to its biological clock, which is vital for overall health. Natural melatonin is produced primarily by the pineal gland in the brain in a 24-hour cycle that is triggered by darkness and suppressed by light. The brain receives light and dark signals through the retina of the eye, which are communicated along the optic nerve to the brain’s biological clock. This clock controls the flow of melatonin and other hormones. FLUCTUATING HORMONE LEVELS When darkness falls, the pineal gland receives the go-ahead to increase melatonin production, typically from around 9pm. The hormone…

27 TO 29 SEPTEMBER Sheepdog National Championship THIS EVENT SEES THE BEST SHEEPDOGS IN SOUTH AFRICA VIE FOR THE TOP SPOT OF 2019 NATIONAL CHAMPION. IT INCLUDES TWO DAYS OF QUALIFYING ROUNDS, CULMINATING IN THE FINAL ON 29 SEPTEMBER. CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS & EXPOS 30 TO 31 JULY Emerging Farmers and Agroprocessing Conference, CSIR Convention Centre, Pretoria.Email ryan@empiretraining.co.za. 30 TO 31 JULY PMA Fresh Connections Conference and Trade Show, Cape Town. Visit pma.com/events/ fresh-connections-southern-africa. COURSES & TRAINING 16 TO 18 JULY Hydroponic Vegetable Production, Roodeplaat DWS Training Centre, Pretoria. Phone Thebe Tshabang on 084 823 9391, or email agritraining.mentoring@gmail.com 22 TO 26 JULY Sheep and Goat Farming Management and Production, George. Visit RLTSafrica.com, or email office@RLTSafrica.com. 12 TO 16 AUGUST ALFA Expo, Afridome, Parys.Visit alfaexpo.com. 24 JULY Profitable Boer Goat Production,…

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) recently ruled that no shale gas development or exploration (fracking) would be allowed in South Africa for the time being. This followed after Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe appealed against an earlier decision made by the Eastern Cape High Court that existing regulations be set aside. The SCA ruled that Mantashe had no authority to draft regulations pertaining to fracking, and that this power rested with the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy. According to Janse Rabie, policy head of natural resources at Agri SA, while the association had won the most recent battle against fracking, the fight would continue. “The [SCA ruling means] that fracking is put on hold until regulations pertaining to its administration are announced by the Department…

Despite the winter rainfall region receiving average and above-average rainfall, there is still some concern for certain areas. This was according to Johan van den Berg, manager of specialised crop insurance at Santam Agriculture. Van den Berg said the rainfall outlook for the winter rainfall region was relatively positive for the rest of July and August. “The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) as indicator of the status of the so-called El Niño areas in the Pacific, and coupling with climate systems, was in a constantly negative phase at the end of June, meaning El Niño-type conditions.” This indicated that there was an average to above-average probability for rainfall for most of the southern and south-western parts of the country for July to September, he said. However, he added that since the…

RUSSIA Inflation in Russia could decline faster than expected due to an early vegetable and fruit crop, according to the first deputy governor of the Bank of Russia, Ksenia Yudaeva. The country’s ministry of agriculture had forecast that greenhouse vegetable production in Russia was set to rise to 1,3 million tons this year, beating last year’s record crop by more than 200 000t. Russian household inflation expectations for the next 12 months rose to 9,4% in June from 9,3% in May, the central bank said. ZIMBABWE Zimbabwe needed to import 800 000t of maize following a drought that reduced the harvest by more than half, according to President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said recently that up to five million Zimbabweans, a third…

Changing eating habits present new opportunities for farmers and agricultural businesses to capitalise on health movements. This was according to Mark Hassenkamp, director of Red Sun Hortitech, a nursery in Tzaneen that produces in excess of 700 000 trees a year. “How and what we eat is changing, and it is bigger business than we think,” he said. “Plant-based food is the new hi-tech agri-tech, and it is attracting significant investment. We are witnessing a new generation of info-tech, and biotech-driven, healthy and innovative plant-based products that meet global consumer demand at mass retail price points. “Disruption of existing players and the growth of new product segments will take place much faster than expected,” he said. He added that plant-based protein alternatives were “at the heart” of changing eating trends…

The world’s biggest brewer, Anheuser-Busch (AB) InBev, recently opened a training facility at the South African Breweries Barley Farm (SABBF) near Caledon. According to Frikkie Lubbe, agricultural manager for South Africa at AB InBev, the company identified the need for a venue for small group training sessions and the launch of new products in the Overberg area. The facility is located on the 2 200ha farm Skilpadsgat, a model operating farm for dryland barley production. It can accommodate between 25 and 30 people and is fully equipped. Lubbe added that they would offer the use of the facility free of charge to anyone who wished to use it for training, workshops, product launches and meetings. Tobie van Rensburg, agricultural economist for Africa at AB InBev, said the facility was part…

The Western Cape Climate Change Response Framework and Implementation Plan for the Agricultural Sector, or SmartAgri Plan, was recently awarded the Eco-Logic 2019 Gold Award in the category Climate Change at an event held in Cape Town. Hosted by Enviropaedia, the Eco-Logic awards recognised those individuals, organisations, products and services that were making a difference and actively contributing to the conservation of the planet. According to the judges, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s SmartAgri Plan was an outstanding example of how government had developed a plan and was implementing it for the benefit of all involved in the agriculture sector. The action items were delivered in a palatable and user-friendly way, in which the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders were clearly defined. The SmartAgri Plan was completed in 2016…

Financial assets are the most easily transferred to other jurisdictions or to other entities. Experience teaches that large cash reserves in a business can make that business attractive to creditors. Drawing the money as a salary for the owner results in tax. So does the declaration of a dividend. Dividend-withholding tax is levied at 20% of the dividends declared. A potential solution to this quandary is to establish a holding company to house the cash. That company can receive dividends in South Africa free of dividend-withholding tax. Because the company is a different one from the trading company where the money is earned and where the creditors are, that holding company is a safe haven. If possible, fixed assets should be held separately to revenue stream recipients. For example, farming…

WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST DIFFICULTIES IN EXPORTING FRESH PRODUCE TO THE REST OF AFRICA? The African market presents numerous challenges. One of these is being able to offer consistent, quality exports, as this builds trust in the marketplace and with consumers, ensuring a loyal customer base. Cold chain maintenance forms part of this; we require reliable logistics, which often means higher costs for us. Supply-line cost is a big drawback: a refrigerated container from South Africa to Spain costs $1 500 to $2 000 [between R26 700 and R35 500], but from South Africa to Angola it costs $5 000 [about R88 800]. This means we have to ensure that within the total package we offer we can still make a profit. But our margins are not what they would…

To make one beetroot and carrot cake, you will need: FOR THE CAKE 225g Demerara sugar 250ml sunflower oil 4 large eggs 100g of carrots, peeled and finely grated 100g of beetroot, peeled and finely grated 400g self-raising flour, sifted A pinch of salt 1 tbsp baking powder 1 tsp ground mixed spice 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground cinnamon 125ml buttermilk 100g walnuts, chopped (plus extra for garnishing) FOR THE CARAMEL 100g brown sugar 40ml water 50ml fresh cream 1 tbsp butter FOR THE CREAM CHEESE ICING 230g cream cheese 400g icing sugar 50g unsalted butter 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 22cm x 22cm cake tin with baking paper. Set aside. 2 Beat the sugar and oil until well mixed. Beat in the…

A CAPTAIN’S JOURNEY  by Neil Tovey with Ernest Landheer (Penguin, R230) Tovey’s memoir recalls the glory days of South African soccer, but doesn’t shy away from describing the hirings and firings among all the adventures. Workmanlike, modest and thoughtful, this isn’t Tovey baring his heart, although you do get glimpses of his treasured formative experiences with AmaZulu. He wraps up his reminiscences by lisiting his greatest influencers, his dream team and other ponderings irresistible to fans. A SHADOW INTELLIGENCE  by Oliver Harris (Little, Brown, R305) Intelligence services are shadowy homes for spies, but there is an even darker layer of shadows behind them: the deniable, off-the-book black ops. Kane Elliot has spent half a lifetime in those dark shadows in dangerous places along the borders of Russia and Asia as…