Where is South Africa’s high-potential agricultural land?
In South Africa, high-potential agricultural land is limited and unevenly distributed. Disturbances in these domains such as outbreaks of animal diseases, can therefore have impacts beyond local farms. Spatial data supports the identification of where agricultural pressure is greatest and contributes to more informed planning, monitoring and response.
Figure 1: Spatial distribution of agricultural soil potential in South Africa, showing areas of high, moderate/limited and low or no suitability for agriculture.
- High-potential agricultural soils are limited and unevenly distributed across South Africa.
- Moderate to limited potential soils dominate much of the national landscape.
- High-potential areas occur in clusters rather as continuous national zones.
Why location matters: agriculture under pressure
Agriculture
- Supports food security and rural livelihoods
- Relies on spatially limited productive land
Livestock
- Animal production is a major component of commercial farming
- Depends on movement, suitable grazing and suitable land
Animal disease risk
- Foot and mouth disease disrupts livestock movement and trade
- Outbreaks increase pressure on productive farming areas
Moeti, T. & Mokhele, T. (2026). Agricultural land potential and spatial pressure in South Africa. Spatial Insights: Edition 19. Pretoria: eResearch Knowledge Unit, Human Sciences Research Council. http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.14749/31378303. Access the publication here.
For more information, contact: Thabiso Moeti tmoeti@hsrc.ac.za | Tholang Mokhele tamokhele@hsrc.ac.za
