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The average weekly price of potatoes during the first 13 weeks of 2026 at South Africa’s fresh produce markets (FPMs) showed a week-on-week increase of 25%. Figure 1, which tracks the weekly average price across all markets, potato classes, and sizes, shows that the average price in week 13 was R51.56 per 10 kg bag. This represents not only a week-on-week increase but also a year-on-year decrease of R8.53 compared to the corresponding week in 2025, underscoring market fluctuations and heightened price volatility.
Stock levels and price trends
Figure 2 illustrates the relationship between supply and demand by analysing daily average stock levels alongside price trends. Elevated stock levels typically exert downward pressure on prices. The average daily stock across South African FPMs was 746 633 bags (10 kg) during the first 13 weeks of 2026, representing a year-on-year increase of 15% compared to the March 2025 average of 646 014 bags (10 kg).
Sales volumes and trends
Figure 3 presents a year-on-year comparison of monthly sales volumes, showing an 11% increase in March 2026 relative to March 2025.
Cumulative sales for the first 13 weeks of 2026 totalled 28.9 million 10 kg bags, which is 981 670 bags above the five-year average for the same period, as illustrated in Figure 4.
Notably, the average price in 2026 is R5.95 lower than the five-year average.
Monthly sales trends at FPMs, depicted in Figure 5, show a month-on-month increase, with March 2026 recording 8.8 million 10 kg bags sold, compared to 8.3 million in February 2026. This represents an increase in volume of 537 710 bags (10 kg). Sales increased consecutively from January to March compared to the same period in 2025.
Bag sales and averages
Table 1 outlines the number of bags sold at the various FPMs during the first 13 weeks of 2026. The five largest markets during this period accounted for 82.1% of the country’s sales, underscoring their pivotal role in the potato supply chain. The average price per 10 kg bag for March, across all classes and sizes, is also shown in Table 1, standing at R45.55.
In terms of the top average price per 10 kg bag received at the markets during March, Nelspruit Market led with R53.19 per 10 kg bag, followed by Witbank Market at R49.14 and Cape Town Market at R47.58 per 10 kg bag. In terms of Class 1 (all sizes) sales, Durban, Nelspruit and Johannesburg Markets recorded the highest distribution at 75, 76 and 78%, respectively. Among the top three markets, Johannesburg ranked the highest.
Figure 6 illustrates the year-on-year price changes in the top five markets for March 2026, with all markets experiencing declines. Durban Market’s price showed the greatest percentage decline, at 26.7%.
Figure 7 highlights the year-on-year percentage change in sales volumes for the top five markets, with Tshwane Market showing the biggest increase, at 17.4%.
Regional performance
Figure 8 illustrates the performance of sales at regional level, with the Eastern Free State recording the highest volume of 2.8 million 10 kg bags, reaffirming its position as the market leader in March 2026. The Eastern Free State, Western Free State and North West regions recorded year-on-year volume growth. These regions, as well as the Southwestern Free State, collectively accounted for 78% of total national potato sales in March, as summarised in Table 2.
Potato classification also varies by region, as shown in Table 2. Regions such as Gauteng, Limpopo and Ceres led in Class 1 sales, with 83, 83 and 82% of their sales falling into this premium category, respectively.
Overall, nine of the 14 regions in the market maintained a Class 1 sales ratio above 70%, indicating variability in quality across some regions. – Jodie Hattingh and Lebo Tlomatsana, Potatoes SA
For more information, email Jodie Hattingh at jodie@potatoes.co.za