Corn yields in South Africa
South Africa: Corn yields was 4.87 tonnes per hectare in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Corn yields in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) (2026); Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per hectare.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 4.87 tonnes per hectare for corn yields in 2024.
The figure is down 23.3% on the previous year and down 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, corn yields in South Africa peaked at 6.35 tonnes per hectare in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.7853 tonnes per hectare, in 1992.
South Africa ranks 68th of 170 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.32 tonnes per hectare | 0.9723 tonnes per hectare | 2.14 tonnes per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.81 tonnes per hectare | 1.06 tonnes per hectare | 2.31 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.92 tonnes per hectare | 0.94 tonnes per hectare | 3.31 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.14 tonnes per hectare | 0.7853 tonnes per hectare | 2.85 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.32 tonnes per hectare | 2.44 tonnes per hectare | 4.96 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.57 tonnes per hectare | 3.49 tonnes per hectare | 5.86 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.7 tonnes per hectare | 4.87 tonnes per hectare | 6.35 tonnes per hectare | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 12.08 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.8% (2025)
- Rural population 23.43 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.8% (2025)
- Rural population 36.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.8% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.8% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 3.36 million hectares (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is corn yields in South Africa?
- Corn yields in South Africa was 4.87 tonnes per hectare in 2024, according to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) (2026); Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest corn yields recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6.35 tonnes per hectare in 2023.
- What is the lowest corn yields recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7853 tonnes per hectare in 1992.
- How does South Africa rank for corn yields?
- South Africa ranks 68th out of 170 countries with data for 2024.
- Is corn yields rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) (2026); Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Corn yields. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average corn yields measured in tonnes per hectare.