South Africa: Potato Output Up Eightfold Since 1961 as Commercial Growers Fall to 513
South Africa harvested 2.62 million tonnes of potatoes in 2024, eight times more than in 1961. At the same time the number of commercial table potato growers fell from 1,700 in 2003 to 513 in 2021.
South Africa grows far more potatoes than it did sixty years ago, but on fewer farms. FAOSTAT data, published by Our World in Data, show a harvest of 332,000 tonnes in 1961 at 7.6 t/ha. In 2024 the harvest was 2.62 million tonnes at 38.0 t/ha, almost eight times more. Most of the growth came from yields, which rose about five times.
The industry also became more concentrated. A market intelligence report by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture (Elsenburg), published in 2024, shows that the number of commercial table potato producers fell from 1,700 in 2003 to 513 in 2021. Small-scale producers fell from 373 in 2008 to 16 in 2021.
Where the potatoes grow and where they go
The same report lists the largest regions by share of potato area in 2011: the Eastern Free State (19%), Limpopo (18%) and the Sandveld in the Western Cape (13%). In 2018 the Sandveld had 5,498 ha of the national 53,011 ha.
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In 2022 most potatoes were sold through fresh produce markets (44%), followed by direct trade (22%), processing (19%), exports (8%) and seed (7%). South Africa exported 185,200 tonnes of potatoes in 2022. Namibia took 58.3% of the Western Cape’s potato exports in 2023.
Two views of the same industry
Potatoes South Africa gives different area and yield figures. According to an African Farming report from June 2026, republished by PotatoPro, the industry body says about 50,000 ha were harvested each year over the past decade, with average yields of about 50 t/ha in the last five years. The major regions produce about 2.5 million tonnes a year. FAOSTAT data suggest about 69,000 ha and 38 t/ha for 2024. Both sources agree on the size of the crop, but not on how it is produced.
Potatoes South Africa also says that per person consumption rose from 31 kg in 2007 to 37 kg in 2023, and that 40–50% of potatoes are sold through fresh produce markets.
Why it matters
South Africa is a large and efficient potato producer with a small number of commercial growers. This makes the sector productive, but also sensitive: when a few hundred farms face drought, high input costs or low prices, national supply changes quickly.
For processors, the 19% share of processing shows room to grow, as the country still imports frozen fries, according to Potatoes South Africa. For neighbouring countries such as Namibia, South African supply remains a key source.
Photo: Potatoes of the Princess variety (not South Africa) (illustrative). Bwiesem / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
