Sweet potato production in South Africa
South Africa: Sweet potato production was 70,564 tonnes in 2024. ▲ Rising
Sweet 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
The most recent figure for sweet potato production in South Africa is 70,564 tonnes, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 6.8% on the previous year and up 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sweet potato production in South Africa peaked at 91,666 tonnes in 2022 and was at its lowest, 35,000 tonnes, in 1966.
South Africa ranks 50th of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 38,667 tonnes | 35,000 tonnes | 44,000 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 42,100 tonnes | 37,000 tonnes | 47,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 51,318 tonnes | 44,000 tonnes | 60,452 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 57,226 tonnes | 46,453 tonnes | 65,792 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 53,302 tonnes | 46,994 tonnes | 63,022 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 68,250 tonnes | 55,400 tonnes | 90,156 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 80,737 tonnes | 70,564 tonnes | 91,666 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 sweet potato production in South Africa?
- Sweet potato production in South Africa was 70,564 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 sweet potato production recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 91,666 tonnes in 2022.
- What is the lowest sweet potato production recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 35,000 tonnes in 1966.
- How does South Africa rank for sweet potato production?
- South Africa ranks 50th out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sweet potato production rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Sweet 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
Sweet potato production is measured in tonnes.