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Insights Centre
Sectors · Agriculture across SADC

Agriculture in South Africa

How the season is going, what staples cost, where land and water are being invested in, and where processing is missing.

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Value added by agriculture, forestry and fishing, 2024US$11.3bn3.1% of the economy · 3rd largest of 16 in SADC
Real growth+1.8%a year over the last five years, at constant prices
Exports of the pillar's goods, 2024US$12.9bn+40% on five years earlier · 1st in SADC
Deals in the last 12 months26 tracked in South Africa in all

Agriculture, forestry and fishing added US$11.3bn to South Africa's economy in 2024

Value added by agriculture, forestry and fishing, the industries in the national accounts closest to agriculture, US$, at the prices of each year and at constant 2020 prices (which show real growth)

0$2bn$4bn$6bn$8bn$10bn$12bn199019921994199619982000200220042006200820102012201420162018202020222024Prices of each yearUS$11.3bnConstant 2020 pricesUS$8.1bn
Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

South Africa has SADC's 3rd largest agriculture, forestry and fishing sector

Value added by agriculture, forestry and fishing, US$, latest year, with its share of each economy

AngolaUS$25.9bn22.6% of the economy
TanzaniaUS$21.4bn28.1% of the economy
South AfricaUS$11.3bn3.1% of the economy
DRCUS$7.7bn10.9% of the economy
MozambiqueUS$5.7bn28.6% of the economy
ZimbabweUS$4.0bn9.2% of the economy
MadagascarUS$3.9bn24.5% of the economy
MalawiUS$3.2bn28.3% of the economy
NamibiaUS$975m8.1% of the economy
ZambiaUS$717m3.0% of the economy
MauritiusUS$637m4.9% of the economy
ComorosUS$541m35.8% of the economy
EswatiniUS$356m7.7% of the economy
BotswanaUS$332m1.8% of the economy
LesothoUS$158m7.7% of the economy
SeychellesUS$53m2.9% of the economy
Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

Agriculture, forestry and fishing, value added (US$): South Africa against SADC

Agriculture, forestry and fishing, value added (US$), US$, latest year for each country. Click a bar for that country's agriculture page.

$0$10bn$20bn$30bnAngola$30.8bnTanzania$20.7bnSouth Africa$12.1bnDRC$8.1bnMozambique$5.7bnZimbabwe$4.9bnMalawi$4.5bnMadagascar$4.3bnZambia$1.2bnNamibia$1.1bnMauritius$745.9mComoros$663.9mBotswana$355.0mEswatini$330.7mLesotho$166.9mSeychelles$62.2mmedian $2.7bn

Source: World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

South Africa's trade in agriculture goods since 2012

Exports and imports of the products in this pillar's subsectors, each product counted once, US$

0$5bn$10bn2012201420162018202020222024ExportsUS$12.9bnImportsUS$7.5bn
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Subsectors

10 in this pillar

Grains and staples in South Africa

Tracks
Maize, wheat, sorghum, rice and cassava; harvests, yields, crop estimates, stocks, prices, import needs and export bans.
Signals ahead
Rainfall in the growing months, planting intentions, export bans in neighbouring countries.

Select a figure for its trend. Source: CEPII BACI, dotzedw deals tracker.

Trade in detail

South Africa exported US$1.7bn and imported US$1.6bn of grains and staples in 2024; exports up 161% on five years earlier, 69.6% of what SADC sells abroad.

South Africa's main exports in this subsector, 2024

Maize (100590)US$951m
Cereal groats, meal and pellets (110313)US$132m
Maize and other flour (110220)US$116m
Wheat (100199)US$100m
Rice (100630)US$85m

South Africa's trade in grains and staples every year since 2012, by partner is part of the Individual plan

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Open these deals in the deals tracker

What South Africa sells abroad across agriculture

South Africa's exports by subsector, 2024, US$, with its share of SADC's exports. A product can count in two subsectors.

Horticulture and fruit exportsUS$5.1bn92.6% of SADC · +42% on five years earlier
Forestry and timberUS$1.8bn72.1% of SADC · +33% on five years earlier
Grains and staplesUS$1.7bn69.6% of SADC · +161% on five years earlier
InputsUS$1.3bn69% of SADC · +40% on five years earlier
Cash cropsUS$1.0bn16.2% of SADC · -12% on five years earlier
Storage, processing and agro-industryUS$809m67.9% of SADC · +79% on five years earlier
Livestock, meat and dairyUS$757m52.6% of SADC · +40% on five years earlier
Fisheries and aquacultureUS$563m19.4% of SADC · -3% on five years earlier
IrrigationUS$57m95% of SADC · +14% on five years earlier
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Who is moving

Open in the deals tracker

2 deals in the last 12 months involving South Africa, placed in subsectors by what they say.

Sources and method