– Cheese Production refers to the total quantity of cheese produced within a country during a specified period, measured in tonnes.
South Africa Cheese Production was 62.30 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, up 3.2% on 2022. The South Africa Cheese Production dataset provides a comprehensive assessment of the country's cheese manufacturing performance and the evolution of its dairy processing industry between 2015 and 2023.
South Africa Cheese Production moved from 49.81 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 62.30 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+25.1%), an average of +2.8% a year. The series high was 96.65 Thousand Tonnes in 2018 and the low 49.81 Thousand Tonnes in 2015.
The gap between the series high (2018) and low (2015) is 46.85 Thousand Tonnes. The sharpest single-year move was +80.7% in 2018.
Among the 30 countries in this dataset, South Africa ranks 27 for 2023, behind U.S. (6,628 Thousand Tonnes) and Germany (3,042 Thousand Tonnes). It accounts for 0.2% of the global total in 2023.
Full series
Complete annual series with year-on-year change. Values are reported in Thousand Tonnes.
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Year | Thousand Tonnes | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 62.30 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 60.34 | +2% |
| 2021 | 59.16 | −1.9% |
| 2020 | 60.34 | +9.2% |
| 2019 | 55.24 | −42.8% |
| 2018Peak | 96.65 | +80.7% |
| 2017 | 53.50 | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 52.05 | +4.5% |
| 2015 Trough | 49.81 | — |
Regional context
Cheese Production by country, 2023, Thousand Tonnes. South Africa is highlighted.
Data definition
Cheese Production — – Cheese Production refers to the total quantity of cheese produced within a country during a specified period, measured in tonnes. The indicator reflects the output of the dairy processing industry by measuring the production of cheese manufactured from milk. It is used to assess the scale of dairy processing, value-added agricultural production, and the performance of the cheese manufacturing sector. The data presented by Our World in Data is based on statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The data includes the annual production of natural and processed cheese manufactured from milk obtained from dairy animals. It covers cheese produced for domestic consumption, industrial use, and export, including a wide range of cheese varieties reported through official national agricultural and food manufacturing statistics. The figures represent gross domestic cheese production compiled and standardized by the FAO to ensure international comparability across countries and years.
The data excludes raw milk production, butter, yogurt, cream, milk powder, whey products, and other dairy products that are not classified as cheese. It also excludes cheese imports and exports, retail sales, inventories, informal or unrecorded production not captured in official statistics, and cheese substitutes made from non-dairy ingredients such as plant-based alternatives.
Cheese Production — – Cheese Production refers to the total quantity of cheese produced within a country during a specified period, measured in tonnes. The indicator reflects the output of the dairy processing industry by measuring the production of cheese manufactured from milk. It is used to assess the scale of dairy processing, value-added agricultural production, and the performance of the cheese manufacturing sector. The data presented by Our World in Data is based on statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Measured in Thousand Tonnes, the dataset serves as an important benchmark for evaluating dairy production capacity, milk utilization, food processing efficiency, agricultural output, and the contribution of cheese manufacturing to the country's agri-food economy. It also supports analysis of production trends, industry performance, and long-term market development. Based on the validated data, South Africa's cheese production increased from 49.81 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 52.05 thousand tonnes in 2016 and 53.50 thousand tonnes in 2017. Output rose sharply to 96.65 thousand tonnes in 2018, representing the highest level during the study period, before declining to 55.24 thousand tonnes in 2019. Production recovered gradually to 60.34 thousand tonnes in 2020, eased slightly to 59.16 thousand tonnes in 2021, increased again to 60.34 thousand tonnes in 2022, and reached 62.30 thousand tonnes in 2023. Despite the exceptional spike recorded in 2018, production during the remaining years followed a relatively stable pattern with modest long-term growth. Overall, the dataset provides valuable insights into South Africa's cheese production trends, dairy manufacturing performance, and long-term industry development. It enables year-over-year trend analysis, international benchmarking of cheese production, evaluation of processing efficiency, and assessment of agricultural value addition across the dairy supply chain. Policymakers, dairy producers, processors, exporters, investors, market analysts, and researchers can utilize the dataset to monitor production performance, identify market opportunities, forecast future cheese output, evaluate industry competitiveness, strengthen supply chain resilience, encourage technological innovation, support sustainable dairy production, and promote long-term growth across South Africa's dairy industry.
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Definition – Cheese Production refers to the total quantity of cheese produced within a country during a specified period, measured in tonnes. The indicator reflects the output of the dairy processing industry by measuring the production of cheese manufactured from milk. It is used to assess the scale of dairy processing, value-added agricultural production, and the performance of the cheese manufacturing sector. The data presented by Our World in Data is based on statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
South Africa Cheese Production was 62.30 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, up 3.2% on 2022.
South Africa Cheese Production moved from 49.81 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 62.30 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+25.1%), an average of +2.8% a year. The series high was 96.65 Thousand Tonnes in 2018 and the low 49.81 Thousand Tonnes in 2015.
The highest value was 96.65 Thousand Tonnes in 2018 and the lowest was 49.81 Thousand Tonnes in 2015.
Included: The data includes the annual production of natural and processed cheese manufactured from milk obtained from dairy animals. It covers cheese produced for domestic consumption, industrial use, and export, including a wide range of cheese varieties reported through official national agricultural and food manufacturing statistics. The figures represent gross domestic cheese production compiled and standardized by the FAO to ensure international comparability across countries and years. Excluded: The data excludes raw milk production, butter, yogurt, cream, milk powder, whey products, and other dairy products that are not classified as cheese. It also excludes cheese imports and exports, retail sales, inventories, informal or unrecorded production not captured in official statistics, and cheese substitutes made from non-dairy ingredients such as plant-based alternatives.
The series is sourced from Our World in Data (https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/global-food?time=2023&country=USA~DEU~FRA~GBR~BRA~ZAF%3BhideControls&pickerSort=asc&Food=Cheese&Metric=Production&Per+capita=false). It covers 2015–2023 and is reported in Thousand Tonnes.
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