Africa produced roughly 34.2 million metric tons of
potatoes in 2024, according to data compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). That volume represents about 9% of the 390.4 million tons produced globally that year.
To mark the International Day of the Potato, approved by the United Nations for annual observance on May 30, here is a look at the six African countries that grow the most of the tuber. According to the FAO, these are the only countries on the continent where potato production reached or exceeded 2 million tons in 2024.
Egypt
Egypt's potato sector harvested 8.08 million tons in 2024, according to the FAO. This makes it Africa's top producer and one of the world's ten largest. The crop is cultivated across roughly 269,000 hectares, primarily in the Nile Delta governorates of Behaira, Gharbia, Menofia and Sharkia.
Affordable and rich in carbohydrates, potatoes feature widely in traditional home cooking and street food, serving as a staple for millions of households and a strategic cash crop. Egypt ranks as the world's fourth-largest potato exporter, behind France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Data compiled on the Trade Map platform show the North African country exported about 1 million tons of potatoes in 2025, equivalent to less than 15% of its annual output.
Algeria
Algeria recorded a potato harvest of nearly 4.5 million tons in 2024, according to the FAO. The crop occupies more than 135,000 hectares, making it the country's most widely grown open-field vegetable.
The main potato-producing areas are Mascara, Mostaganem, Aïn Defla, Bouira, Skikda and El-Oued. Unlike Egypt, virtually all of Algeria's potato output is destined for domestic consumption. The country is also Africa's largest potato importer, with imports estimated at more than 100,000 tons per year, underscoring the crop's importance in the national diet.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia produced approximately 4.1 million tons of potatoes in 2024 on nearly 332,000 hectares, according to the FAO, making it the leading East African potato producer. Production is concentrated in the highland regions of Oromia, Amhara, Sidama, South Ethiopia and Tigray.
Most of the crop is consumed domestically, where demand has been rising in recent years, driven by urbanization and changing eating habits that increasingly favor processed products such as frozen fries and chips.
The sector is not export-oriented. Data compiled on Trade Map show the country exported fewer than 70,000 tons of potatoes per year over the past five years, representing less than 2% of annual production.
South Africa
Africa's largest economy produced 2.6 million tons of potatoes in 2024 across an estimated 70,000 hectares. Significant investment in large commercial farms using irrigation, combined with a strong seed industry, has boosted production over the past decade. As in Egypt, the sector plays a strategic role in both food security and export earnings.
South Africa ranks as the continent's second-largest potato exporter after Egypt. Trade Map data show the country exported more than 170,000 tons of potatoes annually over the past five years.
Morocco
Potatoes are one of Morocco's leading agricultural sectors, occupying the largest share of vegetable-growing land in the country. FAO data show Morocco produced 2.19 million tons of the tuber in 2024 across a total area estimated at roughly 67,000 hectares.
The main growing areas are concentrated in the Loukkos basin, the Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma region, the Doukkala plain and the Atlantic coast from Kénitra to Agadir. Most of the output is destined for domestic consumption.
Kenya
East Africa's largest economy recorded a potato harvest of 2.18 million tons in 2024, according to the FAO. The crop covers more than 225,000 hectares, with cultivation concentrated in the counties of Nakuru, Nyandarua, Elgeyo Marakwet, Meru and Narok. According to the national statistics bureau, 90% of potatoes are grown on small plots of less than 0.20 hectares.
Production has grown steadily over the years, driven by rising demand linked to rapid urbanization. Kenya also ranks among Africa's leading potato exporters. Trade Map data show the country exported an average of nearly 120,000 tons of potatoes per year between 2021 and 2025, making it Africa's third-largest exporter after Egypt and South Africa.
