After the demise of apartheid, the agricultural sector in South Africa went through an unprecedented process of deregulation. This agricultural liberalization has been characterized by the increasing influence of macro-actors, including commercial banks (ABSA and Standard Bank), agricultural engineering firms, and investment funds. New production and financing models are now emerging. The stranglehold on agricultural production by a few macro-actors that are often not even agriculturally orientated but rather part of a globalized capitalist structure stems from the conception of agricultural production merely as a commodity for speculation on the financial markets. Challenges include the status of agricultural producers, sovereignty over food, and regulation of the sector.