Study title

The data deposit comprises: (1) summary notes from 95 semi-structured key informant interviews with a range of stakeholders in the agro-processing sectors of South Africa and Tanzania, including firms, policymakers and industry associations. (2) spreadsheets containing responses to structured questionnaire interviews with 21 dairy processing firms in South Africa, 18 maize processing firms in South Africa, 21 dairy processing firms in Tanzania, and 23 maize processing firms in Tanzania.The return of industrial policy to many African countries over the past decade has been accompanied by increased focus on promoting agro-processing, the value-adding activities for food between harvest and final consumption. This is because agro-processing is widely recognised among academics and policymakers as having exceptionally high potential to propel inclusive industrial growth which creates jobs and relieves poverty. Agro-processing is generally a high labour-intensity and low technology-intensity entry point to industrial activity, and therefore provides an opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to enter industrial activities. It also has strong links to primary agricultural production which supports the livelihoods of many of the poorest people in developing countries. Harnessing agro-processing is additionally important at present because demand for processed food is soaring across sub-Saharan Africa. However, creating inclusive value chains which integrate small producers and enable them to seize this opportunity is a difficult policy challenge. SMEs often face high barriers to entry, or lack the technological capabilities to deliver goods with the quality, speed and reliability demanded by new urban retailers like supermarkets. This research seeks to address this challenge and produce new insights which help improve industrial policy for agro processing. Specifically, it will investigate how governments can foster the inclusion of SMEs in food...