South Africa, Maize, 2022

South Africa's estimated postharvest losses for maize in 2022 was 350,215 tonnes or 14.9%.

As for nutrition 1,215 billion kcal were lost, which is the equivalent of more than 1 million people, in terms of annual nutritional dietary energy requirements. In the value chain, the majority of the loss is estimated to be happening at Harvesting/field drying, Household-level storage, and then Further drying. Highest estimated postharvest maize losses in tonnes were estimated to occur in Free State.

To view the list of studies used to estimate these losses, please see the References tab.

Production quantity and estimated postharvest losses

Production quantity (tonnes)
Estimated postharvest losses (tonnes)

2011–2021
2011	12531310
2012	2355586
2013	12427938
2014	2355586
2015	2355586
2016	2355586
2017	2355586
2018	2355586
2019	2355586
2020	2355586

Produced	2,355,586 tonnes
Estimated postharvest losses	14.9% / 350,215 tonnes

Production quantity	Estimated postharvest losses
85.1326 Production quantity: 2,355,586 tonnes	14.9 Estimated PHL: 350,215 tonnes

See full postharvest losses data table with estimated losses in percentage › | tonnes ›

Value chain

Production quantity and estimated postharvest losses in % per value chain step. Please note that once loss has occurred at harvesting, the percentage loss in the next stage is a percentage of what remained, not of the original amount.

Estimated % of crop left
Estimated % of crop lost

	Amount remaining(%)	Estimated postharvest loss(%)
Production	100 Remaining: 100% Est. PHL: 0%	0 Remaining: 100% Est. PHL: 0%
Harvesting/field drying	95.61869 Remaining: 95.61869% Est. PHL: 4.38131%	4.38131 Remaining: 95.61869% Est. PHL: 4.38131%
Further drying	92.00695 Remaining: 92.00695% Est. PHL: 3.61174%	3.61174 Remaining: 92.00695% Est. PHL: 3.61174%
Threshing and Shelling	89.96395 Remaining: 89.96395% Est. PHL: 2.043%	2.043 Remaining: 89.96395% Est. PHL: 2.043%
Transport from field	87.9481 Remaining: 87.9481% Est. PHL: 2.01585%	2.01585 Remaining: 87.9481% Est. PHL: 2.01585%
Household-level storage	83.7747 Remaining: 83.7747% Est. PHL: 4.1734%	4.1734 Remaining: 83.7747% Est. PHL: 4.1734%
Transport to market	82.7747 Remaining: 82.7747% Est. PHL: 1%	1 Remaining: 82.7747% Est. PHL: 1%
Market storage	80.1247 Remaining: 80.1247% Est. PHL: 2.65%	2.65 Remaining: 80.1247% Est. PHL: 2.65%

See full value chain data table with estimated losses in percentage › | tonnes ›

Nutrition

Number of people whose annual dietary requirements (in terms of energy, kcal) could have been met by consuming the maize that was lost postharvest, and what % of the focal group of the population this number equates to.

Total number

1,359,652

people, 2.4%

Children 1-3

3,376,712

children, 98.6%

Pregnant women 19-30

1,222,261

women, 603.0%

Men 31-50

1,082,040

men, 14.1%

See full nutritional impact data for Children 1–3 › | Pregnant women 19–30 › | Men 31–50 ›