What Crops Are Grown in South Africa?
The primary crops in South Africa include grains, sugar, fruits, potatoes, tomatoes, cotton, tobacco and tea. Ornamental plants are also common in the country, including gladioli, bulbs, roses, proteas and chrysanthemums.
The largest crop in South Africa is grains, including maize and wheat. More than 9,000 commercial maize producers exist in the country, with the majority in the North West Province. The second largest crop is sugarcane, and approximately 50 percent of the sugarcane from the country goes to the Middle East, Asia and North America.
When it comes to fruit, most of it grows in the Eastern Cape’s Langkloof Valley and throughout the Western Cape. Common fruits include pineapples, citrus fruits, avocados, bananas, guavas, granadillas, pecans, mangoes, litchis, pawpaws and macadamia.
The ninth-largest producer of wine throughout the world is South Africa. There are more than 3 million vines throughout the country. Between 1992 and 2007, wine exports grew from 5.8 million gallons to 83 million gallons per year.
Farmers grow honeybush and rooibos tea in the country. Honeybush is usually in the mountainous and coastal parts of the Western Cape. Farmers process approximately 100 tons of this type of tea each year. Farmers grow rooibos tea in the Western Cape’s Cedarberg area.
