Cotton Prices in South Africa
| Variety | Market level | Price (US$/kg) | Local (ZAR) | MoM | YoY | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Export (unit value) | 1.82 | 35.43 | ▼ 16.8% | ▼ 16.8% | UN Comtrade (unit value) |
As of June 2026, the cotton price in South Africa available is US$ 1.82 per kg (35.43 ZAR), down 16.8% year-on-year.
South Africa exported US$18.3 million of cotton in 2024, ranking #21 among 102 exporters and accounting for 0.1% of global exports, with a 309.3% year-on-year increase. The country is a net exporter, producing 16,045 tonnes in 2023, which is 0.1% of world output and a 14.7% rise from the previous year. The latest export unit value is US$1.8237 per kg.
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Cotton Price History & Trend
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Production, Exports, Imports & HS Codes - cotton in South Africa
South Africa exported US$18.3 million of cotton in 2024, ranking #21 among 102 exporters and accounting for 0.1% of global exports, with a 309.3% year-on-year increase. The country is a net exporter, producing 16,045 tonnes in 2023, which is 0.1% of world output and a 14.7% rise from the previous year. The latest export unit value is US$1.8237 per kg.
Exports UN Comtrade · 2024
In 2024, South Africa exported $18.3M of cotton▲ 309.3% YoY. That ranks #21 worldwide (0.1% of global exports).
Export value by year (US$)
Export volume by year
Top cotton exporters worldwide UN Comtrade · 2024
- #1 Brazil $5.15B · 30.9%
- #2 US $5.01B · 30%
- #3 Australia $2.42B · 14.5%
- #4 India $904M · 5.4%
- #5 Benin $500.9M · 3%
Annual export data South Africa · UN Comtrade
| Year | Export value (US$) | Volume | Avg price/kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $18.3M | - | - |
| 2023 | $4.5M | 2.5 kt | $1.82 |
| 2022 | $10.5M | 4.8 kt | $2.19 |
| 2021 | $19.7M | 7 kt | $2.81 |
| 2020 | $16.9M | 13.6 kt | $1.24 |
Production FAOSTAT · 2023
South Africa produced 16 kt of cotton in 2023▲ 14.7% YoY. It ranks #40 among producing countries (0.1% of world output).
Production by year (tonnes)
HS Code
cotton is traded under Harmonized System code 5201.00. Trade figures above are compiled for this HS heading.
Sources: trade & HS - UN Comtrade; production - FAOSTAT (FAO); harvest season - FAO GIEWS Crop Calendar. Values are official reported figures.