Divisi
When to plant Tobacco in Nelson Mandela Bay
Eastern Cape, South Africa
Known here as ugwayi · tabak
Tobacco is a tall, broad-leaved plant in the same family as tomato and potato, grown not for food but for its leaves, which are dried and cured, then sold by weight and grade.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 19 Feb 2027 – 17 Mar 2027 opens in 20 weeks | 18 Sep 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.7 t/ha | about 3.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 20 May 2027 to 15 Jul 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–120 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 120–242 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 62% | |
Rain-fed. These dates are worked out from each place's own rainfall, for a field watered by the season — with irrigation a window can open earlier, close later, or come round more than once a year. Check your own field under What grows, or get the Divisi app for a calendar dated to your farm.
If you only get one chance to plant, aim for around 19 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Nelson Mandela Bay is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 17 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Nelson Mandela Bay
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For tobacco in Nelson Mandela Bay, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 88%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.
The 2026 season in Nelson Mandela Bay
| When the rains are expected | January 2026 to January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 579 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 579 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 22% of this area. |
| 48% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 470 mm |
|---|---|
| 22% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 304 growing days · about 580 mm · January to January |
| 15% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 152 growing days · about 500 mm · June to December |
| 10% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 232 growing days · about 540 mm · April to December |
last updated 17 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 40% of yield here.
What tobacco needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 120 cm between rows, 55 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen and potassium |
What it takes to grow tobacco in Nelson Mandela Bay
| Planting material | About 16,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 63 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 19 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 102 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. A nitrogen top dressing — urea or AN — goes on once the crop is established. |
| Hand work | 120–242 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a tobacco crop of that size carries off the field. What you actually apply depends on what your soil already holds — which is what a soil test, or the app's field records, tell you.
What to watch for
Grow Tobacco with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Nelson Mandela Bay as a whole — your own soil, slope and rainfall will shift the dates. The Divisi app works them out for your field, and dates each job that follows.
Tobacco in nearby districts
This calendar moves
Planting windows shift with the forecast. Leave your email and we'll send what changed, and a note when planting time nears — a couple of emails a month at most.
Frequently asked questions
Will tobacco grow well in Nelson Mandela Bay?
Nelson Mandela Bay rates as favourable for tobacco.
When should I plant tobacco in Nelson Mandela Bay?
Typically 19 Feb 2027 to 17 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Nelson Mandela Bay, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
