Agro-processing value chains and SMME participation in South Africa: insights from Johannesburg and the Gauteng city-region - a scoping review

Agro-processing is increasingly recognised as a strategic sector for promoting inclusive urban economic development, SMME growth, and employment creation within sustainable food systems. This study examines SMME participation and employment outcomes within Johannesburg’s urban food system, drawing on evidence from Gauteng Province and South Africa more broadly. A scoping review design was adopted, using structured searches of Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar for literature published between 2020 and 2025. Eligible sources included peer-reviewed articles, government policy developments, and institutional reports addressing agro-processing, value chains, and SMME development. Of the 40 evidence sources included (28 peer-reviewed articles, eight government policy developments, and four institutional/grey literature reports), 12 focused specifically on Johannesburg, 10 on the wider Gauteng City Region, and 18 provided national or international perspectives. Findings indicate that agro-processing has considerable potential for enterprise development and employment creation; however, SMMEs face persistent constraints in finance, food safety compliance, infrastructure, logistics, and market access. Opportunities exist through niche urban markets, supplier development programmes, shared infrastructure, and cooperative business models. The evidence base remains uneven, with a predominance of qualitative case studies and limited firm-level or city-specific analyses, particularly in distribution and retail stages. This review contributes originality by highlighting the potential application of a life-cycle perspective to agro-processing in emerging cities. It concludes that strengthening SMME participation requires coordinated, context-specific interventions across finance, compliance, infrastructure, procurement, and research to ensure equitable inclusion in Johannesburg’s urban food system.