Trade route overview

Australia exports to South Africa
route risk review

See the latest reported exports, the products that need a closer look, and the conditions that may make this route harder to plan.

AUS-ZAF2024 reported exports390 product typesCritical attention review level
Latest reported exports$1.1B2024 route total
Highest-priority products2Need the closest review
Products needing review56High-attention product types
Exports needing review93.9%Share of route exports
Overall review levelCritical attentionBased on available indicators

What this page shows

What should a business review on this route?

In 2024, Australia reported $1.1B in goods exports to South Africa. 56 product types are marked for closer review, covering 93.9% of reported exports. This is not a forecast and does not mean trade will stop. It shows where to look more closely at demand, annual changes, product mix, tariffs, and buyer-market conditions.

How to read this page

Three simple ideas explain the route

This page separates the size of the trade from the conditions worth checking and the product types that make up the route.

01 - Trade value

How much is traded?

This is the reported value of goods exported from Australia to South Africa in the latest available year.

$1.1B in 2024
02 - Review level

What does "high attention" mean?

It marks product types where one or more conditions deserve a closer look. It is not a prediction, a guaranteed loss, or a warning that trade will stop.

93.9% needs review
03 - Product code

What is a product type?

Each row is one HS6 product code. HS6 is the international six-digit code used to describe and compare traded goods.

390 product types

Start with the products

See the product rows behind the review level.

Compare the products, their buyer-market size, and the conditions that deserve a closer look.

Export history

How much was exported each year?

The latest twelve years of reported exports from Australia to South Africa. Bar lengths are relative to the highest year shown.

Latest annual total$1.2B2024 annual history
Highest year$1.8B2011 annual history
Latest below highest33.7%Difference from the highest year

Why this route needs review

What is behind the review signal?

A dollar amount can appear in more than one row. These rows show the conditions linked to the route; they are not separate losses.

What to reviewBar shows relative sizeExport value linked to it
Large year-to-year swings
$186.4M
Still below the previous high
$230.4M
Buyer demand is falling
$225.5K
Product mix is concentrated
$820.8M
Tariffs and access rules
$1.1B
Buyer economy is under pressure
$1.1B

How to read the numbers

What do these measures tell us?

These measures describe yearly swings, the gap from the route's highest year, and how concentrated the product mix is.

Export volatility0.5Higher means bigger yearly swings
Below highest year23.2%Compared with the route's best year
Product concentration (HHI)3,615.10-10,000 scale; higher means fewer products dominate
Largest product share58.1%Share from the biggest product

Largest product

Aluminium oxide: other than artificial corundum

Product code HS6 281820 makes up 58.1% of exports from Australia to South Africa. The main reason to review it is: A small number of products or suppliers carry much of the route.

See product rows
Exports of this product$646.6M2024 reported value

Products to review

Which product types need a closer look?

Each row is one six-digit HS6 product code. Compare the buyer market's imports, the product's fall from its highest year, annual variation, and review level.

Top product types10 shown - 2024 values
Top product types for Australia exports to South Africa
RankProduct and codeBuyer-market importsBelow product highYearly variationReview level
1Aluminium oxide: other than artificial corundumHS6 281820 - six-digit product code$656.5M5%0.3High attention
2Cereals: wheat and meslin, other than durum wheat, other than seedHS6 100199 - six-digit product code$524.4M27.5%1.2High attention
3Coal: bituminous, whether or not pulverised, but not agglomeratedHS6 270112 - six-digit product code$155.0M70%0.5Critical attention
4Cereals: barley, other than seedHS6 100390 - six-digit product code$27.3M42%0.9High attention
5Machines, for sorting, screening, separating, washing, crushing etc mineral substances, for agglomerating, shaping or moulding solid fuels, ceramic pastes etc, for forming foundry moulds of sand: partsHS6 847490 - six-digit product code$148.4M50.9%0.6Critical attention
6Offal, edible: of bovine animals, livers, frozenHS6 020622 - six-digit product code$18.6M25%0.7High attention
7Copper oxides and hydroxidesHS6 282550 - six-digit product code$15.2M23%0.8High attention
8Electrical apparatus: automatic circuit breakers, for a voltage exceeding 1000 volts but less than 72.5kVHS6 853521 - six-digit product code$15.3M55.7%0.8High attention
9Machinery: parts of machines handling earth, minerals or ores and n.e.c. in heading no. 8431HS6 843149 - six-digit product code$359.1M86.4%0.9High attention
10Spirits obtained by distilling grape wine or grape marcHS6 220820 - six-digit product code$124.7M32.2%0.6High attention

Buyer-market imports are total imports of that product into the buyer market, not only exports from Australia. "Below product high" compares current exports with that product's highest reported year. Yearly variation is a calculated measure. Swipe sideways on a small screen to see every column.

Trade route conditions

What else can affect this route?

Distance, tariffs, trade agreements, the buyer economy, and business rules add context to the export total.

Distance between markets11,015 kmApproximate route distance
Trade agreement (FTA)NoReported agreement coverage
Average import tariff11.3%Average tax applied to imports
Buyer economy size$419.9B2024 gross domestic product
Buyer GDP per person$7.0KCurrent-dollar measure
Buyer economy outlookWeakenedAvailable buyer-economy context
Shared land borderNoDo the markets share a border?
Shared official languageYesReported common official language
Similar legal systemYesReported legal similarity
Shared religionNoReported cultural similarity
Language similarityNot reportedCommon spoken-language score
Business setup time40 daysDays to register a business

Questions about this page

Simple answers about this route

Definitions and limits for the figures above.

What does "high attention" mean?

High attention means one or more conditions on these product types deserve a closer look. It is not a prediction that trade will stop or that a loss is certain.

How much did Australia export to South Africa?

Australia reported $1.1B in goods exports to South Africa in 2024.

What does "exports needing review" mean?

93.9% of reported route exports are linked to product types marked for closer review. This points to where to investigate further.

What is an HS6 code?

An HS6 code is the international six-digit code used to describe and compare traded goods.

What conditions are shown?

The page shows yearly export changes, product concentration, tariffs, distance, trade-agreement coverage, buyer-economy context, and business setup time where reported.

Is this a forecast?

No. These are reported or calculated observations, not forecasts or guarantees.

Continue your research

Compare this route with products and markets.

Use the workspace to investigate which products, buyer conditions, and routes deserve attention.

Data source

OECD trade statistics with CEPII context

OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-29). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.