Section 5

Crop production in South Africa

Population & land-use pattern
 South Africa
▪ 122.3 million ha
▪ 60.6 million people (2022)
▪ Gauteng = 785 people / km2
▪ Northern Cape = 3 people / km2

 Potentially arable land = ± 13% of area

▪ High potential = 22% of arable land
▪ Just over 1.35 million ha under irrigation
 2011 approximately 1.5 million ha
Land-use pattern in South Africa

Other

Forestry

Cultivated
land

Nature
conservation

Pasture and
natural veld
Economic imortance
 Agriculture= Key industry
 Dual agricultural economy
▪ Commercial
▪ Subsistence orientated

 Primary agriculture → 3% to GDP

 9% of formal employment
 Links → total contribution 15%
 Declining contribution to GDP, remains vital!
Economic importance

Crop
64.2%production

 Agricultural exports contribute 9% of total exports

▪ Wine, citrus, sugar, grapes, maize, fruit juice, wool and deciduous fruit such as apples, pears,
peaches and apricots
Per capita consumption for RSA
100

80
kg/person/year

60

40

20

0
Important crops
Crop Area planted Production Gross value
(1 000 ha) (1 000 t) (R1 000)
Maize 3 651 9 390 9 828 375
Wheat (2002) 968 2 429 3 818 730
Sugar cane 430 23 013 3 953 173
Grain sorghum 95 265 344 383
Groundnuts 50 69 349 195
Sunflower seed 666 1 136 585
Potatoes 1 540 2 528 471
Vegetables 2 050 3 888 038
Viticulture 1 406 4 320 296
Other deciduous fruit 1 506 2 907 519
Citrus fruit 1 896 2 885 838
Other subtropical fruit 596 973 285
Flowers and bulbs 617 523
Production areas in South Africa
Dryland
Production areas in South Africa
Irrigation
Production areas in South Africa
Production areas in South Africa
 Maize
▪ North West
▪ NW, N and E Free State
▪ Mpumalanga Highveld
▪ KwaZulu-Natal Midlands

 Wheat
▪ W. Cape (winter rainfall areas)
▪ E. Free State

 Barley
▪ S coastal plains of W. Cape
Production areas
 Ground-nuts
▪ Free State
▪ North West
▪ Northern Cape
 Sunflower
▪ Free State
▪ North West
▪ Mpumalanga highveld
 Sorghum
▪ Mpumalanga
▪ Free State
▪ Limpopo
▪ North West
Production areas
 Cotton
▪ Mpumalanga
▪ Limpopo
▪ Northern Cape
▪ Kwazulu-Natal
▪ North West
 Tobacco
▪ Mpumalanga
▪ Limpopo
▪ W and E Cape
Production areas
 Sugarcane
▪ From N. Pondoland
▪ coastal regions of KZN
▪ to Mpumalanga Lowveld
 Deciduous fruit
▪ Western Cape
▪ Langkloof valley (E. Cape)
▪ Along Orange river
▪ Freestate
▪ Mpumalanga
▪ Gauteng
Production areas
 Wine grapes
▪ Western Cape
▪ Along Orange river
▪ Vaalharts

 Citrus
▪ Limpopo
▪ Mpumalanga
▪ E. and W. Cape
Production areas
 Potatoes
▪ Free State
▪ Mpumalanga
▪ Limpopo, E, W & N Cape, KZN

 Tomatoes
▪ Limpopo
▪ MP Lowveld + Middleveld
▪ KZN (Pongola)
▪ E and W Cape
Production areas
 Onions
▪ Mpumalanga
▪ W Cape
▪ Southern Free State
 Rooibos & Honeybush tea
▪ Western Cape
 Ornamental plants
▪ Limpopo
▪ Mpumalanga
▪ Gauteng
 Proteas
▪ W Cape