Agriculture One of the most disturbing features of the recent growth experience has been that of the deceleration in agriculture growth (Table 9). 12  BIS Review 112/2006  With about 60 per cent of the population still largely dependent on agriculture, this deceleration has clearly had a significant impact on slower reduction in poverty levels than otherwise would have been the case.
With just over USD34 billion in net reserves, the management of these remains an important function of the SARB. Being relatively new in the world of reserves management, the SARB has generally been a conservative manager. In line with most other central banks, the SARB tightened its investment guidelines for the management of reserves so as to avoid any potential losses.