What is really holding back drone adoption in South African agriculture?

Agriculture is undergoing a quiet but radical transformation across the globe. Technologies once viewed as futuristic, such as drones, are rapidly becoming integral tools on modern farms. According to DJI Agriculture’s 2024 Agricultural Drone Industry Insight Report, over 300 000 agricultural drones are now in operation across more than 100 countries, contributing to higher yields, reduced chemical usage and notable water savings. However, in South Africa, the adoption of this technology in agriculture remains somewhat limited.

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Publication Details

Journal
Human Science Research Council SA
Published
2026-05-22
DOI
https://doi.org/10.14749/32361303
Primary Topic
Logistics and Infrastructure Analysis
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

What is really holding back drone adoption in South African agriculture?

Human Sciences Research Council
Human Science Research Council SA
Logistics and Infrastructure Analysis
article

What is really holding back drone adoption in South African agriculture?

Human Sciences Research Council
article en

Abstract

Agriculture is undergoing a quiet but radical transformation across the globe. Technologies once viewed as futuristic, such as drones, are rapidly becoming integral tools on modern farms. According to DJI Agriculture’s 2024 Agricultural Drone Industry Insight Report, over 300 000 agricultural drones are now in operation across more than 100 countries, contributing to higher yields, reduced chemical usage and notable water savings. However, in South Africa, the adoption of this technology in agriculture remains somewhat limited.

Human Science Research Council SA
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Logistics and Infrastructure Analysis
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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What is really holding back drone adoption in South African agriculture? — Human Sciences Research Council · Human Science Research Council SA (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS