Yields of key staple crops in South Africa
South Africa: Yields of key staple crops was 3.81 tonnes per hectare in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
3.81 tonnes per hectare
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
43rd
of 126 countries
All-time high
4.36 tonnes per hectare
in 2021
All-time low
0.4824 tonnes per hectare
in 1965
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Yields of key staple crops in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per hectare.
Analysis
In 2024, yields of key staple crops in South Africa stood at 3.81 tonnes per hectare.
That represents a change of up 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, yields of key staple crops in South Africa peaked at 4.36 tonnes per hectare in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.4824 tonnes per hectare, in 1965.
That places South Africa 43rd out of 126 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.
Yields of key staple crops in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes per hectare | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.619 tonnes per hectare | — |
| 1962 | 0.5127 tonnes per hectare | -17.2% |
| 1963 | 0.5793 tonnes per hectare | +13.0% |
| 1964 | 0.8036 tonnes per hectare | +38.7% |
| 1965 | 0.4824 tonnes per hectare | -40.0% |
| 1966 | 0.4832 tonnes per hectare | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 0.8297 tonnes per hectare | +71.7% |
| 1968 | 0.7467 tonnes per hectare | -10.0% |
| 1969 | 0.7114 tonnes per hectare | -4.7% |
| 1970 | 0.7233 tonnes per hectare | +1.7% |
| 1971 | 0.8308 tonnes per hectare | +14.9% |
| 1972 | 0.8656 tonnes per hectare | +4.2% |
| 1973 | 0.924 tonnes per hectare | +6.7% |
| 1974 | 0.8558 tonnes per hectare | -7.4% |
| 1975 | 0.9744 tonnes per hectare | +13.9% |
| 1976 | 1.15 tonnes per hectare | +17.8% |
| 1977 | 1.03 tonnes per hectare | -10.4% |
| 1978 | 0.8929 tonnes per hectare | -13.1% |
| 1979 | 1.1 tonnes per hectare | +22.8% |
| 1980 | 0.9047 tonnes per hectare | -17.5% |
| 1981 | 1.3 tonnes per hectare | +43.7% |
| 1982 | 1.21 tonnes per hectare | -6.6% |
| 1983 | 0.9808 tonnes per hectare | -19.2% |
| 1984 | 1.21 tonnes per hectare | +23.2% |
| 1985 | 0.8538 tonnes per hectare | -29.3% |
| 1986 | 1.2 tonnes per hectare | +40.4% |
| 1987 | 1.8 tonnes per hectare | +50.4% |
| 1988 | 1.8 tonnes per hectare | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 1.09 tonnes per hectare | -39.5% |
| 1990 | 1.09 tonnes per hectare | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 1.49 tonnes per hectare | +36.4% |
| 1992 | 1.77 tonnes per hectare | +18.3% |
| 1993 | 1.85 tonnes per hectare | +4.5% |
| 1994 | 1.76 tonnes per hectare | -4.8% |
| 1995 | 1.45 tonnes per hectare | -17.4% |
| 1996 | 2.1 tonnes per hectare | +44.5% |
| 1997 | 1.76 tonnes per hectare | -16.2% |
| 1998 | 2.53 tonnes per hectare | +43.9% |
| 1999 | 2.41 tonnes per hectare | -4.6% |
| 2000 | 2.6 tonnes per hectare | +7.7% |
| 2001 | 2.57 tonnes per hectare | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 2.59 tonnes per hectare | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 2.07 tonnes per hectare | -20.2% |
| 2004 | 2.03 tonnes per hectare | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 2.37 tonnes per hectare | +16.4% |
| 2006 | 2.75 tonnes per hectare | +16.3% |
| 2007 | 3.01 tonnes per hectare | +9.5% |
| 2008 | 2.85 tonnes per hectare | -5.5% |
| 2009 | 3.05 tonnes per hectare | +7.0% |
| 2010 | 2.56 tonnes per hectare | -15.9% |
| 2011 | 3.32 tonnes per hectare | +29.4% |
| 2012 | 3.75 tonnes per hectare | +13.0% |
| 2013 | 3.7 tonnes per hectare | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 3.67 tonnes per hectare | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 2.99 tonnes per hectare | -18.7% |
| 2016 | 3.76 tonnes per hectare | +25.8% |
| 2017 | 3.12 tonnes per hectare | -16.9% |
| 2018 | 3.71 tonnes per hectare | +18.9% |
| 2019 | 2.84 tonnes per hectare | -23.4% |
| 2020 | 4.16 tonnes per hectare | +46.3% |
| 2021 | 4.36 tonnes per hectare | +5.0% |
| 2022 | 3.72 tonnes per hectare | -14.7% |
| 2023 | 3.81 tonnes per hectare | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 3.81 tonnes per hectare | -0.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 3.81 tonnes per hectare is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.8 tonnes per hectare, 1.4× the median. (32 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 3.81 tonnes per hectare is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.67 tonnes per hectare, 2.3× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.6409 tonnes per hectare | 0.4824 tonnes per hectare | 0.8297 tonnes per hectare | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.9339 tonnes per hectare | 0.7233 tonnes per hectare | 1.15 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.24 tonnes per hectare | 0.8538 tonnes per hectare | 1.8 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.82 tonnes per hectare | 1.09 tonnes per hectare | 2.53 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.59 tonnes per hectare | 2.03 tonnes per hectare | 3.05 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.34 tonnes per hectare | 2.56 tonnes per hectare | 3.76 tonnes per hectare | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.97 tonnes per hectare | 3.72 tonnes per hectare | 4.36 tonnes per hectare | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 40 South Korea 3.92 tonnes per hectare compare
- 41 Norway 3.89 tonnes per hectare compare
- 42 Belarus 3.82 tonnes per hectare compare
- 44 Bangladesh 3.76 tonnes per hectare compare
- 45 Switzerland 3.67 tonnes per hectare compare
- 46 Italy 3.66 tonnes per hectare compare
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 yields of key staple crops in South Africa?
- Yields of key staple crops in South Africa was 3.81 tonnes per hectare in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest yields of key staple crops recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4.36 tonnes per hectare in 2021.
- What is the lowest yields of key staple crops recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4824 tonnes per hectare in 1965.
- How does South Africa rank for yields of key staple crops?
- South Africa ranks 43rd out of 126 countries with data for 2024.
- Is yields of key staple crops rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. 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 (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Yields of key staple crops. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Yield is the amount produced per unit of land used, measured in tonnes per hectare.