Agriculture and logistics are two critical sectors that are important for SA’s economic future and whose stability shapes the country’s long-term prospects. Agriculture spans more than 96-million hectaresand supports SA’s role as a leading exporter, yet deep structural barriers hold back its full potential. Recently released data from Statistics SAshowed that agriculture had a 1.1% rise in the third quarter of 2025 and its annual contribution to SA’s GDP in 2024 was 2.8%.
Logistics,which contributes 10% to 12% of GDP, moves the goods that keep the economy functioning, though inefficiencies continue to undermine its competitiveness. The success of both sectors matter to the legacy of SA and both need capable, well-supported entrepreneurs to strengthen them from within. That’s why Metropolitan focused the 2025 edition of its Collective Shapers programme on backing entrepreneurs in these two essential sectors, helping them grow their businesses, create jobs, and build a lasting future for themselves, their communities, and SA.
Established in 2021, Metropolitan’s Collective Shapers has positioned itself as an intentional engine for sector-level capability building, growing from a single-industry focus in regional editions to supporting multiple sectors nationally. “The move to a national footprint in 2025 signals a programme that understands scale differently: not in the number of graduates it produces, but in the systemic pressure points it helps relieve,” says Lindiwe Gumede, Metropolitan’s chief marketing officer. The Collective Shapers programme blends investment funding with technical coaching, market access, and accredited skills training to strengthen the fundamentals that keep small enterprises alive.
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It also offers targeted soft-skills development, providing practical training in leadership, communication, confidence-building, and everyday financial decision-making that boosts day-to-day business performance. Metropolitan’s Collective Shapers recognises that real entrepreneurial support goes beyond encouragement. It begins with competence, which means bringing in the right sector-specific skills to provide disciplined business practices, giving the entrepreneurs tools to ensure the continuity of their business through the right protection and financial planning. It is strengthened by credibility that is built through access to markets, formal training, and the confidence to operate in more demanding environments.
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