The overall NDVI profile for South Africa shows conditions in September and October that are comparable to the 2012-2013 season and well below the recent five-year average.VCIx is low over the north-western areas, which includes the bulk of South African maize production. NDVI values are currently close to average after a marked peak at the beginning of September, probably due to some isolated early rain showers.At the end of October, NDVI was well below average in KwaZulu-Natal and—though less severely—in Gauteng and surrounding areas. In combination with the agroclimatic data (-39% RAIN, +0.9°C TEMP, +2% RADPAR, and -24% for BIOMSS), all indices concur in assessing the current conditions for the 2014-15 maize crop in South Africa as mixed at best.

Figure3.34. South Africa crop condition, July-October2014

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

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