Soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel? in South Africa

South Africa: Soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel? was 22,000 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
22,000 tonnes
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
26th
of 191 countries
All-time high
58,000 tonnes
in 2007
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023

Soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel? in South Africa, 1961–2023

020.0k40.0k60.0k196119922023

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.

Analysis

In 2023, soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel? in South Africa stood at 22,000 tonnes.

Over the whole period, soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel? in South Africa peaked at 58,000 tonnes in 2007 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 1961.

South Africa ranks 26th of 191 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel? in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel? in South Africa, 1961 to 2023.
Year tonnes Change
1961 0 tonnes
1962 0 tonnes
1963 0 tonnes
1964 0 tonnes
1965 0 tonnes
1966 0 tonnes
1967 0 tonnes
1968 0 tonnes
1969 0 tonnes
1970 0 tonnes
1971 0 tonnes
1972 0 tonnes
1973 0 tonnes
1974 1,000 tonnes
1975 2,000 tonnes +100.0%
1976 3,000 tonnes +50.0%
1977 3,000 tonnes +0.0%
1978 3,000 tonnes +0.0%
1979 3,000 tonnes +0.0%
1980 3,000 tonnes +0.0%
1981 4,000 tonnes +33.3%
1982 6,000 tonnes +50.0%
1983 8,000 tonnes +33.3%
1984 12,000 tonnes +50.0%
1985 9,000 tonnes -25.0%
1986 13,000 tonnes +44.4%
1987 15,000 tonnes +15.4%
1988 16,000 tonnes +6.7%
1989 15,000 tonnes -6.2%
1990 19,000 tonnes +26.7%
1991 18,000 tonnes -5.3%
1992 16,000 tonnes -11.1%
1993 16,000 tonnes +0.0%
1994 15,000 tonnes -6.2%
1995 16,000 tonnes +6.7%
1996 18,000 tonnes +12.5%
1997 16,000 tonnes -11.1%
1998 23,000 tonnes +43.8%
1999 27,000 tonnes +17.4%
2000 28,000 tonnes +3.7%
2001 40,000 tonnes +42.9%
2002 42,000 tonnes +5.0%
2003 30,000 tonnes -28.6%
2004 45,000 tonnes +50.0%
2005 47,000 tonnes +4.4%
2006 50,000 tonnes +6.4%
2007 58,000 tonnes +16.0%
2008 56,000 tonnes -3.4%
2009 56,000 tonnes +0.0%
2010 46,000 tonnes -17.9%
2011 0 tonnes -100.0%
2012 0 tonnes
2013 0 tonnes
2014 0 tonnes
2015 0 tonnes
2016 0 tonnes
2017 0 tonnes
2018 0 tonnes
2019 24,000 tonnes
2020 23,000 tonnes -4.2%
2021 22,000 tonnes -4.3%
2022 22,000 tonnes +0.0%
2023 22,000 tonnes +0.0%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel? 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.

YearChange FromTo
2011 -100.0% 46,000 tonnes 0 tonnes
1975 +100.0% 1,000 tonnes 2,000 tonnes

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 0 tonnes 0 tonnes 0 tonnes 9
1970s 1,500 tonnes 0 tonnes 3,000 tonnes 10
1980s 10,100 tonnes 3,000 tonnes 16,000 tonnes 10
1990s 18,400 tonnes 15,000 tonnes 27,000 tonnes 10
2000s 45,200 tonnes 28,000 tonnes 58,000 tonnes 10
2010s 7,000 tonnes 0 tonnes 46,000 tonnes 10
2020s 22,250 tonnes 22,000 tonnes 23,000 tonnes 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 23 Myanmar 27,000 tonnes compare
  2. 24 Democratic Republic of Congo 24,000 tonnes compare
  3. 25 Malawi 23,000 tonnes compare
  4. 27 Colombia 19,000 tonnes compare
  5. 28 Angola 18,000 tonnes compare
  6. 29 Hong Kong 17,000 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 191 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel? in South Africa?
Soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel? in South Africa was 22,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel? recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 58,000 tonnes in 2007.
What is the lowest soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel? recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 1961.
How does South Africa rank for soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel??
South Africa ranks 26th out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel? in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/soybean-production-and-use/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Soybeans: are they used for food, feed or fuel?
Unit
tonnes
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
191 places, 9,615 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Quantity that is allocated for direct consumption as human food, rather than allocation to animal feed or industrial uses.