Country agriculture profile · Sub-Saharan Africa
South Africa
South Africa has a distinctive dual agricultural economy, pairing a well-capitalised, export-oriented commercial sector with a large number of smallholder and subsistence farmers, many of them in the former homeland areas. Production is shaped by water scarcity and a summer-rainfall interior, with rainfed maize dominating the Highveld grain belt and Mediterranean-climate viticulture, deciduous fruit and wheat concentrated in the Western Cape. The country is a significant exporter of wine, citrus and table grapes and is broadly self-sufficient in maize in normal years, though periodic droughts drive sharp swings in output. Questions of land reform and equitable access to farmland remain central to national agricultural policy.
Farming systems (stable overview)
Climate zones
- Semi-arid interior
- Mediterranean (Western Cape, winter rainfall)
- Subtropical east coast
- Temperate Highveld grassland
- Arid Karoo and Kalahari
Agroecological zones
- Highveld summer-grain (maize) belt
- Cape winelands and deciduous-fruit zone
- Subtropical coastal Lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal
- Karoo and Kalahari extensive rangeland
Dominant crop systems
- Rainfed summer maize on the Highveld grain belt (Free State, North West, Mpumalanga)
- Winter wheat under Mediterranean rainfall in the Western Cape, plus irrigated wheat
- Wine and table grapes, and deciduous fruit, in the Western Cape winelands
- Irrigated sugarcane in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga
- Citrus and subtropical fruit grown largely for export
- Smallholder and communal cropping in the former homeland areas
Major livestock systems
- Extensive beef cattle on Highveld and bushveld rangeland
- Extensive wool and mutton sheep in the Karoo and Eastern Cape
- Intensive feedlot beef, poultry and piggeries near urban markets
- Communal smallholder cattle and goats in former homeland areas
Irrigation: A water-scarce country: irrigation is concentrated along the Orange and Vaal rivers and in the Western Cape, supporting high-value horticulture, sugarcane and wheat, while most field-crop area remains rainfed.
Latest verified data
Each value is the most recent available observation, shown with its own year and unit. Figures are periodically revised — treat them as dated, sourced statistics, not evergreen facts.
| Indicator | Value | Unit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural land | 79.42 | % of land area | 2023 |
| Arable land | 9.89 | % of land area | 2023 |
| Cereal yield | 4,562 | kg per hectare | 2024 |
| Agriculture value added | 2.81 | % of GDP | 2024 |
| Employment in agriculture(est.) | 5.44 | % of total employment | 2024 |
| Rural population | 36.31 | % of total population | 2024 |
| Fertilizer consumption | 77.19 | kg per hectare of arable land | 2023 |
| Irrigated agricultural land | 1.66 | % of agricultural land | 2011 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12
Commodity market data
7,233 official observations across 61 commodities. Figures are shown on each commodity page with the unit, status and release its source published.
| Commodity | Metrics recorded |
|---|---|
| Almonds | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Avocados | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Bananas | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Barley Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value |
| Black Peppercorns | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Buckwheat Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Cashew Nuts | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Chickpeas | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Cocoa Beans | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Cotton Lint | Production, Beginning stocks, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Index value, Export value, Import value |
| Cottonseed | Production, Domestic use, Exports, Imports, Index value, Export value, Import value |
| Cowpeas | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Cucumbers | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dates | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dried Chillies | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dried Tobacco Leaf | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dry Beans | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dry Bulb Onions | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dry Peas | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Flax Fibre | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Flaxseed | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Apples | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Oranges | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Pineapples | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Strawberries | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Sweetcorn | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price |
| Fresh Tomatoes | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Green Coffee | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Groundnuts | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value |
| Hazelnuts | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Head Cabbage | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Hemp Fibre | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Hen Eggs | Production, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Jute Fibre | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Lentils | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Maize Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value |
| Milled Rice | Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Export value, Import value |
| Millet Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Oat Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Import value |
| Pigeon Peas | Exports, Export value |
| Pistachios | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Rapeseed | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Export value, Import value |
| Raw Cow Milk | Production, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Raw Wool | Production, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Rice Paddy | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Rye Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Domestic use, Exports, Index value, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Safflower Seed | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Sesame Seed | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Sorghum Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value |
| Soybeans | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value |
| Sugar Beet | Exports, Export value |
| Sugarcane | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value |
| Sunflower Seed | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value |
| Sweet Potatoes | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Tea Leaf | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Triticale Grain | Exports, Export value |
| Vanilla Beans | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Walnuts | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Ware Potatoes | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Wheat Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value |
| Yams | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
Cereal yield over time
Show data table
| Year | kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 4,043 |
| 2014 | 4,899.6 |
| 2015 | 3,348.4 |
| 2016 | 3,623.1 |
| 2017 | 5,331.8 |
| 2018 | 4,651.9 |
| 2019 | 4,101.6 |
| 2020 | 5,121 |
| 2021 | 5,493.8 |
| 2022 | 5,310.4 |
| 2023 | 5,703 |
| 2024 | 4,562 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12
Derived indicator
Arable land as a share of agricultural land: 12.5 % of agricultural land (2023)
Derived value — formula arable-share-of-agricultural-land v1.0.0 (calc v1). Inputs: AG.LND.ARBL.ZS (9.9) ÷ AG.LND.AGRI.ZS (79.4). A derived ratio, not an observed statistic. Sensitive to rounding and to differing revision cycles of the two source series; omit rather than extrapolate when a common year is unavailable.
Documented crops & livestock
Agricultural institutions
- Agricultural Research Council (ARC) — National statutory agricultural research organisation.
- Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) — National department for agricultural policy, land reform and statistics.
- Grain SA — Producer organisation representing commercial and developing grain farmers.
Data coverage & limitations
Covered by the World Bank WDI snapshots for land, production, yield, economy, inputs, and environment indicators.
| Layer | Status | What is held |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural authorities | Not yet indexed | — |
| Official registries | Not yet indexed | — |
| Compliance requirements | Not yet indexed | — |
| Support programmes | Not yet indexed | — |
| Biosecurity listings | Not yet indexed | — |
| Variety registrations | Not yet indexed | — |
| Input authorisations | Not yet indexed | — |
| Extension resources | Not yet indexed | — |
| Market statistics | Covered | 488 records |
| Soil survey observations | Not yet indexed | — |
| Border requirements | Not yet indexed | — |
| Farm economics figures | Not yet indexed | — |
| Climate, drought and water values | Covered | 27 records |
This page describes what AgricultureID has indexed, not what exists. A layer shown as not yet indexed means nobody has looked, and never that the thing is absent in that country. How coverage is worked out.
- Statistics are dated, versioned and periodically revised as new survey and census results arrive.
- National definitions (for example of a "farm", or the commercial versus smallholder split) differ from those used elsewhere, limiting cross-country comparison.
- National aggregates mask a sharp dualism between a small, highly productive commercial sector and many low-input smallholders, so averages can mislead.
- Field-crop output is strongly drought-sensitive and can vary markedly from year to year.
Sources
This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.
- Authoritative
Cited for: Agricultural statistics (WDI)
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [2]FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Cited for: Production, land use and food-balance context
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12