Potato production in South Africa
South Africa: Potato production was 2.62 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Potato production 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.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 2.62 million tonnes for potato production in 2024.
The figure is up 8.6% on the previous year and up 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potato production in South Africa peaked at 2.67 million tonnes in 2019 and was at its lowest, 332,000 tonnes, in 1961.
That places South Africa 27th out of 159 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 424,333 tonnes | 332,000 tonnes | 547,000 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 665,500 tonnes | 559,000 tonnes | 757,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 979,100 tonnes | 686,000 tonnes | 1.26 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.43 million tonnes | 1.07 million tonnes | 1.79 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.79 million tonnes | 1.56 million tonnes | 2.04 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.32 million tonnes | 2.09 million tonnes | 2.67 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.57 million tonnes | 2.42 million tonnes | 2.67 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.191 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.36 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6318 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.18 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.2153 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 209.92 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is potato production in South Africa?
- Potato production in South Africa was 2.62 million tonnes 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 potato production recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2.67 million tonnes in 2019.
- What is the lowest potato production recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 332,000 tonnes in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for potato production?
- South Africa ranks 27th out of 159 countries with data for 2024.
- Is potato production rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.7%. 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 Potato production. 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
Potato production is measured in tonnes.