Socio-economic Factors Influencing Marketing Practices and Opportunities for the Smallholder Pig Farming Enterprise in the Cape Metropole District, South Africa

R.M. Mathobela; O.C. Chikwanha; C.L.F. Katiyatiya; A.H. Molotsi; M.C.  Marufu; P.E.  Strydom; C. Mapiye

doi:10.17159/2413-3221/2026/v54n1a20274

Authors

R.M. Mathobela Stellenbosch University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9118-0312
O.C. Chikwanha Stellenbosch University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8804-7617
C.L.F. Katiyatiya Stellenbosch University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0119-8237
A.H. Molotsi Stellenbosch University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7115-454X
M.C. Marufu University of Pretoria https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4784-6153
P.E. Strydom Stellenbosch University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6855-688X
C. Mapiye Stellenbosch University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1474-8648

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2026/v54n1a20274

Keywords:

Animal Slaughter, Farmgate, Formal Markets, Marketing Information, Pig Sales

Abstract

Urban smallholder pig production is one of the farming systems that dominate urban agriculture in South Africa. However, the challenges of urban smallholder pig farmers in adopting sustainable marketing practices have not been identified. Therefore, a survey was conducted amongst 160 pig farmers from five suburbs of the Cape Metropole District in South Africa to determine the impact of socio-economic factors on marketing practices and the accompanying challenges for urban smallholder farms. Data was collected using a convenience sampling technique and subjected to descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and binomial logistic regression. The main challenges experienced by farmers were a slow growth rate in pigs (54% of respondents), scarcity of production inputs (25%), and difficulty in finding marketing information (20%). The main sustainable marketing practices adopted by smallholder pig farmers included the use of a farmgate marketing channel (82% of respondents), the sale of live pigs (52%), and affiliation with marketing organisations (16%). Logistic regression marginal effects revealed that farmers who were women, older, African traditional religion adherents, and had less farming experience, education, training, and access to extension services, relied on paid labour and one source of income, farmed extensively and off-plot, and owned small farms, one livestock type, indigenous breeds and small pig herds, were more likely to face challenges and fail to adopt sustainable marketing practices (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, the identified socioeconomic factors have a significant impact on farmers' decision-making and should be incorporated in devising sustainable marketing strategies and policies to enhance market access and pig sales on smallholder urban farms in developing countries.

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Author Biographies

R.M. Mathobela, Stellenbosch University

PhD graduate at Stellenbosch University and Senior Agricultural Advisor at Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Elsenburg, South Africa.
O.C. Chikwanha, Stellenbosch University

Post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
C.L.F. Katiyatiya, Stellenbosch University

Post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
A.H. Molotsi, Stellenbosch University

Lecturer at the Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
M.C. Marufu, University of Pretoria

Associate Professor at the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
P.E. Strydom, Stellenbosch University

Full professor at the Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
C. Mapiye, Stellenbosch University

Associate Professor at the Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

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