Browse Data and Analysis

The South African Agricultural Fact Sheet has been updated to include calendar year 2019.

South Africa’s summer rainfall (September to April) has been limited and scattered so far this season.

Due to relatively attractive local market prices after the drought conditions of the previous season, Post projects South Africa to increase corn planting by at least 10 percent in the 2019/20 MY.

South Africa has a highly diversified agricultural sector which includes the production of all the major grains (except rice), oil seeds, deciduous and subtropical fruits, sugar, citrus, wine....

Post forecasts that South Africa could export about 1.0 million tons of corn in the 2019/20 MY, on increased production.

Due to drought conditions, Zimbabwe’s corn crop for the 2019/20 MY is estimated to drop by 54 percent to 776,635 tons. In the 2018/19 MY Zimbabwe farmers produced 1.7 million tons of corn....

Sorghum production in South Africa decreased dramatically over the past decade as producers preferred to plant more profitable crops like corn and oilseeds.

South Africa has a well-developed business market and is a gateway to Sub-Saharan African markets.

Post estimates South Africa will have to import about one million tons of corn in the 2018/19 MY on an estimated 20 percent decline in commercial production due to drought conditions.

Due to unfavorable weather conditions, Post estimates a 14 percent drop in commercial corn area planted for the 2018/19 MY in South Africa.

The production area of genetically engineered (GE) corn, soybean and cotton in South Africa is estimated at around 2.7 million hectares.