[1] Primary trade source
OECD Bilateral International Merchandise Trade Statistics, harmonised by Yugalinks at country-year, HS2 and bilateral-corridor levels. Coverage shown here is 1995–2024 where observations are available.
Country intelligence · ZAF · 2024
South Africa trade profile
In 2024, South Africa recorded $143.6B in merchandise exports and $108.8B in imports, producing a $34.9B trade surplus. Exports changed +2.6% from the previous year, while imports changed -7.2%.[1]
Exports
$143.6B
+2.6%
Imports
$108.8B
-7.2%
Trade balance
$34.9B
surplus
Active partners
270
44 FTA-linked
Historical evidence
Ten-year trade movement
The bars compare exports and imports on the same scale. The accompanying table preserves the exact values so the trend is usable without interpreting a graphic.
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
ExportsImports
Exact annual values
Leading export sectors
HS2 chapters rank broad product groups by observed export value in 2024.
1$49.9B
HS 71 · Precious metals and stones
51 active HS6 lines · 120 export partners
2$19.4B
HS 26 · HS chapter
37 active HS6 lines · 109 export partners
3$14.7B
HS 87 · Vehicles
87 active HS6 lines · 180 export partners
4$10.7B
HS 27 · Mineral fuels and oils
43 active HS6 lines · 151 export partners
5$6.3B
HS 72 · HS chapter
167 active HS6 lines · 141 export partners
6$5.3B
HS 84 · Machinery
515 active HS6 lines · 190 export partners
7$5.1B
HS 08 · HS chapter
68 active HS6 lines · 150 export partners
8$2.3B
HS 76 · HS chapter
35 active HS6 lines · 142 export partners
Leading export markets
Destinations rank bilateral export flows from South Africa; growth describes each corridor rather than the whole economy.
1$25.5B
China
Annual change -3.4% · 3-year CAGR -0.3%
2$12.3B
United Kingdom
Annual change +53.3% · 3-year CAGR 5.5%
3$12.0B
United States
Annual change +7.6% · 3-year CAGR 0.1%
4$11.9B
India
Annual change +13.6% · 3-year CAGR 5.7%
5$8.4B
Germany
Annual change -14.0% · 3-year CAGR -8.2%
6$6.4B
Mozambique
Annual change +6.3% · 3-year CAGR 14.3%
7$5.4B
Japan
Annual change -16.8% · 3-year CAGR -15.5%
8$4.7B
United Arab Emirates
Annual change +28.5% · 3-year CAGR 5.0%
Sources, definitions and limitations
Calculation notes
USD values are aggregated from reported merchandise records. YoY compares consecutive annual totals; three-year CAGR is the mart-provided compound annual growth rate. Missing values are not inferred.