Rapeseed production in South Africa
South Africa: Rapeseed production was 288,200 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Rapeseed production in South Africa, 1992–2024
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 288,200 tonnes for rapeseed production in 2024. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 22.0% on the previous year and up 138.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rapeseed production in South Africa peaked at 288,200 tonnes in 2024 and was at its lowest, 400 tonnes, in 1992.
That places South Africa 23rd out of 66 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.
Rapeseed production in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 400 tonnes | — |
| 1993 | 1,000 tonnes | +150.0% |
| 1994 | 4,596 tonnes | +359.6% |
| 1995 | 16,000 tonnes | +248.1% |
| 1996 | 12,600 tonnes | -21.2% |
| 1997 | 14,800 tonnes | +17.5% |
| 1998 | 25,000 tonnes | +68.9% |
| 1999 | 23,000 tonnes | -8.0% |
| 2000 | 20,300 tonnes | -11.7% |
| 2001 | 25,750 tonnes | +26.8% |
| 2002 | 33,970 tonnes | +31.9% |
| 2003 | 40,770 tonnes | +20.0% |
| 2004 | 32,000 tonnes | -21.5% |
| 2005 | 44,200 tonnes | +38.1% |
| 2006 | 36,500 tonnes | -17.4% |
| 2007 | 38,150 tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 30,800 tonnes | -19.3% |
| 2009 | 40,350 tonnes | +31.0% |
| 2010 | 36,900 tonnes | -8.6% |
| 2011 | 58,800 tonnes | +59.3% |
| 2012 | 79,000 tonnes | +34.4% |
| 2013 | 112,000 tonnes | +41.8% |
| 2014 | 121,000 tonnes | +8.0% |
| 2015 | 93,000 tonnes | -23.1% |
| 2016 | 105,000 tonnes | +12.9% |
| 2017 | 93,469 tonnes | -11.0% |
| 2018 | 103,950 tonnes | +11.2% |
| 2019 | 95,000 tonnes | -8.6% |
| 2020 | 165,200 tonnes | +73.9% |
| 2021 | 198,100 tonnes | +19.9% |
| 2022 | 210,000 tonnes | +6.0% |
| 2023 | 236,300 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 2024 | 288,200 tonnes | +22.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 288,200 tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 84,294 tonnes, 3.4× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Rapeseed production in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +359.6% | 1,000 tonnes | 4,596 tonnes |
| 1995 | +248.1% | 4,596 tonnes | 16,000 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12,174 tonnes | 400 tonnes | 25,000 tonnes | 8 |
| 2000s | 34,279 tonnes | 20,300 tonnes | 44,200 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 89,812 tonnes | 36,900 tonnes | 121,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 219,560 tonnes | 165,200 tonnes | 288,200 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rapeseed production in South Africa?
- Rapeseed production in South Africa was 288,200 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 rapeseed production recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 288,200 tonnes in 2024.
- What is the lowest rapeseed production recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 400 tonnes in 1992.
- How does South Africa rank for rapeseed production?
- South Africa ranks 23rd out of 66 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rapeseed production rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 138.2%. 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 Rapeseed production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Rapeseed production is measured in tonnes.