Cereals n.e.c. — Area harvested in South Africa

South Africa: Cereals n.e.c. — Area harvested was 25,155 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
25,155 ha
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
13th
of 69 countries
All-time high
50,000 ha
in 1998
All-time low
5,000 ha
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024

Cereals n.e.c. — Area harvested in South Africa, 1961–2024

010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k50.0k196119922024

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.

Analysis

In 2024, cereals n.e.c. — area harvested in South Africa stood at 25,155 ha.

That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and down 25.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, cereals n.e.c. — area harvested in South Africa peaked at 50,000 ha in 1998 and was at its lowest, 5,000 ha, in 1961.

That places South Africa 13th out of 69 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Cereals n.e.c. — Area harvested in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Cereals n.e.c. — Area harvested in South Africa, 1961 to 2024.
Year ha Change
1961 5,000 ha
1962 5,000 ha +0.0%
1963 5,000 ha +0.0%
1964 5,000 ha +0.0%
1965 5,000 ha +0.0%
1966 5,000 ha +0.0%
1967 5,000 ha +0.0%
1968 5,000 ha +0.0%
1969 5,000 ha +0.0%
1970 5,000 ha +0.0%
1971 5,000 ha +0.0%
1972 5,000 ha +0.0%
1973 5,000 ha +0.0%
1974 5,000 ha +0.0%
1975 8,300 ha +66.0%
1976 8,300 ha +0.0%
1977 8,300 ha +0.0%
1978 8,300 ha +0.0%
1979 8,300 ha +0.0%
1980 8,300 ha +0.0%
1981 13,200 ha +59.0%
1982 13,200 ha +0.0%
1983 13,200 ha +0.0%
1984 13,200 ha +0.0%
1985 13,200 ha +0.0%
1986 13,200 ha +0.0%
1987 13,200 ha +0.0%
1988 16,600 ha +25.8%
1989 16,600 ha +0.0%
1990 15,203 ha -8.4%
1991 11,003 ha -27.6%
1992 13,282 ha +20.7%
1993 16,497 ha +24.2%
1994 33,000 ha +100.0%
1995 40,723 ha +23.4%
1996 39,478 ha -3.1%
1997 43,115 ha +9.2%
1998 50,000 ha +16.0%
1999 44,413 ha -11.2%
2000 41,978 ha -5.5%
2001 42,000 ha +0.1%
2002 32,000 ha -23.8%
2003 33,335 ha +4.2%
2004 33,720 ha +1.2%
2005 34,102 ha +1.1%
2006 34,604 ha +1.5%
2007 33,000 ha -4.6%
2008 35,017 ha +6.1%
2009 34,647 ha -1.1%
2010 33,331 ha -3.8%
2011 35,000 ha +5.0%
2012 36,000 ha +2.9%
2013 36,500 ha +1.4%
2014 33,697 ha -7.7%
2015 24,266 ha -28.0%
2016 24,498 ha +1.0%
2017 23,577 ha -3.8%
2018 25,691 ha +9.0%
2019 25,762 ha +0.3%
2020 24,464 ha -5.0%
2021 25,306 ha +3.4%
2022 25,177 ha -0.5%
2023 24,982 ha -0.8%
2024 25,155 ha +0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 5,000 ha 5,000 ha 5,000 ha 9
1970s 6,650 ha 5,000 ha 8,300 ha 10
1980s 13,390 ha 8,300 ha 16,600 ha 10
1990s 30,671 ha 11,003 ha 50,000 ha 10
2000s 35,440 ha 32,000 ha 42,000 ha 10
2010s 29,832 ha 23,577 ha 36,500 ha 10
2020s 25,017 ha 24,464 ha 25,306 ha 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 10 Lithuania 37,800 ha compare
  2. 11 Burundi 27,022 ha compare
  3. 12 Argentina 26,770 ha compare
  4. 14 Italy 22,950 ha compare
  5. 15 Saudi Arabia 21,746 ha compare
  6. 16 Latvia 20,300 ha compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More agriculture & rural data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is cereals n.e.c. — area harvested in South Africa?
Cereals n.e.c. — area harvested in South Africa was 25,155 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest cereals n.e.c. — area harvested recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 50,000 ha in 1998.
What is the lowest cereals n.e.c. — area harvested recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 5,000 ha in 1961.
How does South Africa rank for cereals n.e.c. — area harvested?
South Africa ranks 13th out of 69 countries with data for 2024.
Is cereals n.e.c. — area harvested rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Cereals n.e.c. — Area harvested. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Cereals n.e.c. — Area harvested in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/cereals-n-e-c-area-harvested/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Cereals n.e.c. — Area harvested
Unit
ha
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
99 places, 4,299 data points, 1961–2024
Last refreshed

Crop and livestock statistics are recorded for 278 products, covering the following categories: 1) CROPS PRIMARY: Cereals, Citrus Fruit, Fibre Crops, Fruit, Oil Crops, Oil Crops and Cakes in Oil Equivalent, Pulses, Roots and Tubers, Sugar Crops, Treenuts and Vegetables. Data are expressed in terms of area harvested, production quantity and yield. Cereals: Area and production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed or silage or used for grazing are therefore excluded. 2) CROPS PROCESSED: Beer of barley; Cotton lint; Cottonseed; Margarine, short; Molasses; Oil, coconut (copra); Oil, cottonseed; Oil, groundnut; Oil, linseed; Oil, maize; Oil, olive, virgin; Oil, palm; Oil, palm kernel; Oil, rapeseed; Oil, safflower; Oil, sesame; Oil, soybean; Oil, sunflower; Palm kernels; Sugar Raw Centrifugal; Wine. 3) LIVE ANIMALS: Animals live n.e.s.; Asses; Beehives; Buffaloes; Camelids, other; Camels; Cattle; Chickens; Ducks; Geese and guinea fowls; Goats; Horses; Mules; Pigeons, other birds; Pigs; Rabbits and hares; Rodents, other; Sheep; Turkeys. 4) LIVESTOCK PRIMARY: Beeswax; Eggs (various types); Hides buffalo, fresh; Hides, cattle, fresh; Honey, natural; Meat (ass, bird nes, buffalo, camel, cattle, chicken, duck, game, goat, goose and guinea fowl, horse, mule, Meat nes, meat other camelids, Meat other rodents, pig, rabbit, sheep, turkey); Milk (buffalo, camel, cow, goat, sheep); Offals, nes; Silk-worm cocoons, reelable; Skins (goat, sheep); Snails, not sea; Wool, greasy. 5) LIVESTOCK PROCESSED: Butter (of milk from sheep, goat, buffalo, cow); Cheese (of milk from goat, buffalo, sheep, cow milk); Cheese of skimmed cow milk; Cream fresh; Ghee (cow and buffalo milk); Lard; Milk (dry buttermilk, skimmed condensed, skimmed cow, skimmed dried, skimmed evaporated, whole condensed, whole dried, whole evaporated); Silk raw; Tallow; Whey (condensed and dry); Yoghurt.