The agriculture GDP in South Africa increased by 2.8% in quarter 2 (Q2) 2025, a quick reprise of quarter 1 (Q1)’s surge by 18.6%.

Statistics South Africa stated in early September 2025 that this stellar jump amid tough global trade injected 0.1% points to the national GDP growth.

The national GDP meanwhile improved by 0.8% quarter-to-quarter, above the 0.1% of Q1. It even bettered analysts’ expectations of a maximum 0.5% upward performance. 

Agriculture ranked second best in this overall representation of the national economic growth, after manufacturing. 

It will take longer for South Africa, however, to overtake its 2014-24 annual national GDP growth average of 1%. Notably, in July 2025, the Central Bank itself predicted an annual gross domestic product growth of 0.9% for this year. 

Movers in Agriculture

The economic expansion of the farming sector in the second quarter owed to stable horticultural and animal husbandry production.

Agro-export returns upped by 10% annually in Q2 2025, buoyed by robust citrus, avocado, maize, wool and juice prices.

Avocados gained export momentum in new markets such as Japan, China and India while maize gained in India and Japan.

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), these gains owed to the policies of the Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen. 

In a report on September 10, the DA praised the minister for combating the foot and mouth scourge. Despite the stoppage of meat exports to China over the pestilence, the country scored a beef and mutton deal with Iran. 

There is however expectation that the current U.S.’ tariffs at 30%, especially on citrus fruits, will retract quarter 3 growth.

This harshest duty in Sub-Saharan Africa came up on August 8, 2025 after trade negotiations with the United States failed. 

The question now remains whether the strongest economy in Africa will maintain a currently robust agriculture GDP. The statistics below shed a light on the sector in economic terms. 

South Africa Agriculture GDP Statistics 

South Africa has one of Africa’s biggest farmland-to-landmass portions at around 96 million hectares or about 80% of its landmass (2020).  However, the bulk of this farmland is either forestry or grassland, with around 12.5% to 13.5%  under cultivation. Out of this fraction, just 3% is of high agricultural potential due to general dryness in the veldts. This is why the agriculture gross domestic product (GDP) is quite low, with merely a 2.6% (2014) to 2.8% (2022) national GDP share.

The major contributors of the internal agriculture GDP are grains, fruits, horticulture and animal products. Leading crops by area include maize at a 2010-14 average of 2,961,000 hectares (ha), according to Yield Gap. Next is wheat at 532, 000 ha during the same period, soybeans at 444,000 ha and sugarcane at 299,000 ha. 

In terms of employment, agriculture represents 10% of all formal jobs in South Africa, according to Kilimo. This is while not counting informal jobs in agriculture such as those by laborers who earn daily wages. The employment rate is relatively low vis-á-vis the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa. 

In growth terms, the agriculture sector grows by leaps and bounds quarterly and yearly, but sometimes shows volatile declines. In quarter 1, 2025, it leaped by 18.6% but in the following quarter it improved by only 2.8%. In quarter 3, 2024, it lost by 28%, quarter-to-quarter, and by 15.5%, year-on-year. This made the national GDP also contract by 0.3% in the third quarter. The overall national GDP in real terms rarely grew by above 1% annually in the 2014-24 period, according to Reuters.