Economist: Smallholder Market Access Research

About the role

The National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) is seeking an Economist specializing in Smallholder Market Access Research. This is a permanent, entry-level position based in Pretoria, Gauteng, within the MERC/Trade/Small Market Access/Agro-Food Chains Division. The role focuses on research and analysis to improve smallholder market access.

Key responsibilities

• Carry out timely, quality smallholder market access research and produce related reports.
• Extract, clean and organise data from databases and data sources for analysis of smallholder market access and the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP).
• Maintain Excel and Power BI reports and produce monthly and year-on-year trends and rankings for Smallholder Market Access reporting.
• Contribute to research papers, peer-reviewed articles, reports, policy briefs and other outputs, and help write and update reports such as fresh produce market intelligence, Agripreneur and SMAT reports.
• Identify barriers to smallholder market access and alert the Manager, and undertake assigned research projects and field visits to smallholder producers.
• Support interns, liaise with stakeholders, DAGs and industry bodies, and assist the Manager with research on market access policies and the MERC Strategy, APP and OP.
• Disseminate findings through reports, presentations, seminars, webinars and workshops, and travel as required.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics, or a three-year Agriculture degree plus an Honours in Agricultural Economics; a master's degree is an advantage.
• 1 to 2 years' experience in agricultural economics, agricultural research, agricultural market analysis or a related field.
• Experience in research, analysis and communicating findings to stakeholders; experience presenting at conferences, seminars, webinars or workshops is an advantage.
• Willingness to travel for research and stakeholder engagements.

Required skills

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Power BI.
• Statistical packages such as SPSS and/or STATA; exposure to E-views, GEMPACK, GTAP or GAMS is an advantage.
• Knowledge of data sources such as Stats SA, Trade Map and FAO, and basic value-chain analysis and report writing.
• Working knowledge of the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act, 1996.