Agronomist

Agronomist jobs in South Africa: pay, licences and the post

Updated 3 November 2026

An agronomist in South Africa earns about R 334,000 a year on average, according to a 2026 salary survey based on nine salaries, and the highest figure reported is about R 651,000. Pay depends on the role, the crops and the farm area. For current replies to your post, describe the role on BlaBlaPrice.

What pay depends on

We found too few pay figures for a price table, so the points below set the range:

• the role: crop adviser, farm agronomist or farm manager
• work experience and qualification, in years
• the crops: maize, wheat, barley, soya beans, dry beans, or apples and pears
• the farm area and the workplace city
• schedule: full-time or seasonal

Figures are per position and per year, not per hour.

Qualifications and licences

A common entry route in South Africa is a National Certificate in Plant Production. One provider lists it at R 33,000 for one year, with Grade 11 and basic English required. Several universities also train crop consultants, and the national qualification register describes the purpose as producing agronomists who can practise in crop production. Where a role involves crop chemicals, product registration with the government is a separate process with a prescribed fee. Many postings also ask for a valid driver's licence, so state that in the post.

Season and climate

Summer runs from December to February, and the field season for summer crops peaks in those months. November is when many farms set up for the season, so a post advertised now helps you find someone before the busiest weeks. Winter (June to August) is the cooler, quieter half of the year for field work.

Where the work is and how posts look

The postings we found are spread across the country. One is for apples and pears in the Eastern Cape, and others are for advisers on maize, wheat, barley, soya and dry beans. Workplaces include commercial farms and agribusinesses, so give the farm area in hectares and say whether the role includes travel to farms. Ask whether a vehicle is provided, and state the nearest city, whether that is Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria or Gqeberha.

What to write in your post

Give the role title, the crops and the farm area, then the monthly salary in rand, the schedule and the workplace city. Add the years of experience you need and whether a valid driver's licence is required. Those details matter most for pay and fit, so a complete post gets clearer replies.

On BlaBlaPrice you describe the post in a chat, and the AI asks for any missing details, such as crops and farm area. It then looks through local employers' websites and job pages in South Africa and shows the businesses and pay figures it finds. Sellers registered on BlaBlaPrice reply in the chat with their own offer, and your contact details stay hidden until you choose to share them. Buying is free. For related roles, see tractor driver or agriculture, forestry and agribusiness, or start on the home page.