Sorghum — Production in South Africa
South Africa: Sorghum — Production was 98,000 t in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Sorghum — Production in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 98,000 t for sorghum — production in 2024.
The figure is up 3.9% on the previous year and down 63.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sorghum — production in South Africa peaked at 728,000 t in 1967 and was at its lowest, 70,500 t, in 2016.
That places South Africa 41st out of 120 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Sorghum — Production in South Africa, year by year
| Year | t | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 335,022 t | — |
| 1962 | 181,164 t | -45.9% |
| 1963 | 272,000 t | +50.1% |
| 1964 | 257,000 t | -5.5% |
| 1965 | 414,000 t | +61.1% |
| 1966 | 314,000 t | -24.2% |
| 1967 | 728,000 t | +131.8% |
| 1968 | 199,000 t | -72.7% |
| 1969 | 199,000 t | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 379,000 t | +90.5% |
| 1971 | 551,000 t | +45.4% |
| 1972 | 510,000 t | -7.4% |
| 1973 | 222,000 t | -56.5% |
| 1974 | 685,000 t | +208.6% |
| 1975 | 405,000 t | -40.9% |
| 1976 | 310,000 t | -23.5% |
| 1977 | 419,000 t | +35.2% |
| 1978 | 620,000 t | +48.0% |
| 1979 | 377,000 t | -39.2% |
| 1980 | 711,000 t | +88.6% |
| 1981 | 553,000 t | -22.2% |
| 1982 | 302,000 t | -45.4% |
| 1983 | 221,000 t | -26.8% |
| 1984 | 498,000 t | +125.3% |
| 1985 | 628,000 t | +26.1% |
| 1986 | 487,000 t | -22.5% |
| 1987 | 677,000 t | +39.0% |
| 1988 | 651,000 t | -3.8% |
| 1989 | 511,000 t | -21.5% |
| 1990 | 341,000 t | -33.3% |
| 1991 | 302,000 t | -11.4% |
| 1992 | 118,000 t | -60.9% |
| 1993 | 515,368 t | +336.8% |
| 1994 | 520,185 t | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 290,557 t | -44.1% |
| 1996 | 535,839 t | +84.4% |
| 1997 | 433,371 t | -19.1% |
| 1998 | 358,469 t | -17.3% |
| 1999 | 223,530 t | -37.6% |
| 2000 | 472,763 t | +111.5% |
| 2001 | 206,173 t | -56.4% |
| 2002 | 258,000 t | +25.1% |
| 2003 | 260,000 t | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 373,000 t | +43.5% |
| 2005 | 260,000 t | -30.3% |
| 2006 | 96,000 t | -63.1% |
| 2007 | 176,000 t | +83.3% |
| 2008 | 255,000 t | +44.9% |
| 2009 | 276,500 t | +8.4% |
| 2010 | 196,500 t | -28.9% |
| 2011 | 155,000 t | -21.1% |
| 2012 | 135,000 t | -12.9% |
| 2013 | 147,200 t | +9.0% |
| 2014 | 265,000 t | +80.0% |
| 2015 | 120,500 t | -54.5% |
| 2016 | 70,500 t | -41.5% |
| 2017 | 152,000 t | +115.6% |
| 2018 | 115,000 t | -24.3% |
| 2019 | 127,000 t | +10.4% |
| 2020 | 158,000 t | +24.4% |
| 2021 | 215,000 t | +36.1% |
| 2022 | 103,140 t | -52.0% |
| 2023 | 94,360 t | -8.5% |
| 2024 | 98,000 t | +3.9% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 98,000 t is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 9,635 t, 10.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 98,000 t is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 127,000 t, 77% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sorghum — Production in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +336.8% | 118,000 t | 515,368 t |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 322,132 t | 181,164 t | 728,000 t | 9 |
| 1970s | 447,800 t | 222,000 t | 685,000 t | 10 |
| 1980s | 523,900 t | 221,000 t | 711,000 t | 10 |
| 1990s | 363,832 t | 118,000 t | 535,839 t | 10 |
| 2000s | 263,344 t | 96,000 t | 472,763 t | 10 |
| 2010s | 148,370 t | 70,500 t | 265,000 t | 10 |
| 2020s | 133,700 t | 94,360 t | 215,000 t | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0283 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 186.56 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.812 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3618 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sorghum — production in South Africa?
- Sorghum — production in South Africa was 98,000 t in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest sorghum — production recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 728,000 t in 1967.
- What is the lowest sorghum — production recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 70,500 t in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for sorghum — production?
- South Africa ranks 41st out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sorghum — production rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 63.0%. 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 Sorghum — Production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
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.