Rainfall was slightly below average in South Africa as a whole (RAIN,-11%), with close to average radiation (RADPAR) and temperature (TEMP). NDVIwas below average between April and May. The maximum VCI was 0.74 for thecountry as a whole, but in most parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, FreeState, Gauteng, and Kwa-Zulu Natal, good crop conditions prevailed. The WesternCape, a major citrus producer, experienced a severe dry spell (RAIN, -34%),which resulted in a 21.9% reduction in BIOMSS for that area. The sub-humidtropical areas of Kwa-Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape experienced departures inRAIN (-12.8%) and RADPAR (-1.9%), as well as a 7.8% reduction in BIOMSS. Thesemi-arid Steppes showed a similar trend, with RAIN, -10.7%; TEMP, -0.9%; andRADPAR, -2.6%; and a BIOMSS of 7.4% below the average for the period.

The country’s overall fraction of cropped arable land (CALF)increased by 8 percentage points. Despite this increment, overall BIOMSS was 7%below average, which could be attributed to the variations in the mentionedagronomic indicators. The spatial NDVI patterns showed poor conditions in about13.3% of cropped areas, including most parts of Kwa-Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape;maize and wheat are the major crops grown here. In contrast, about 86.7% of croppedareas showed positive NDVI departures after February. Overall, crop conditionwas good in the major producing parts of the country and, with increasing areascultivated, prospects for the country are at least average.

Figure3.34. South Africa crop condition, January-April2017

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI            (b) Maximum VCI

(c) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA                                (d) NDVI profiles