# South Africa Import Data | Yugalinks

> Published by **Yugalinks**, global trade intelligence for growing businesses.

Explore import demand for South Africa with OECD trade data: sectors, suppliers, economy context, and trade history.

Canonical: https://www.yugalinks.com/trade/country-import/ZAF

## South Africa import demand overview

In 2024, South Africa recorded $108.8B in reported imports. Precious stones and metals was the largest displayed import sector by value.

## Country snapshot

| Measure | Value |
| --- | ---: |
| Latest imports | $108.8B |
| Import growth | -7.2% |
| Population | 64M |
| GDP per capita | $6.3K |
| Trade openness | 53% |

## Import sectors

| Rank | HS2 | Sector | Imports | Share | Import partners | Active HS6 |
| ---: | --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1 | 71 | Precious stones and metals | $4.5B | 4.1% | 124 | 51 |
| 2 | 26 | Ores, slag and ash | $263.7M | 0.2% | 80 | 37 |
| 3 | 87 | Vehicles | $10.4B | 9.6% | 157 | 87 |
| 4 | 27 | Mineral fuels | $20.9B | 19.2% | 126 | 43 |
| 5 | 72 | Iron and steel | $1.8B | 1.6% | 101 | 167 |
| 6 | 84 | Machinery | $14.1B | 12.9% | 191 | 515 |
| 7 | 08 | Edible fruit and nuts | $201.0M | 0.2% | 90 | 68 |
| 8 | 76 | Aluminium | $688.2M | 0.6% | 107 | 35 |
| 9 | 85 | Electrical machinery | $10.5B | 9.7% | 189 | 262 |
| 10 | 22 | Beverages | $750.9M | 0.7% | 131 | 24 |

## Import history

| Year | Imports | Exports | Balance |
| ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 2000 | $28.0B | $32.3B | $4.4B |
| 2001 | $26.8B | $33.2B | $6.4B |
| 2002 | $27.7B | $32.8B | $5.1B |
| 2003 | $35.7B | $39.7B | $4.0B |
| 2004 | $48.1B | $50.2B | $2.0B |
| 2005 | $56.2B | $55.8B | -$405.4M |
| 2006 | $69.2B | $63.2B | -$6.0B |
| 2007 | $79.5B | $76.3B | -$3.2B |
| 2008 | $90.1B | $92.9B | $2.8B |
| 2009 | $67.2B | $72.7B | $5.5B |
| 2010 | $91.7B | $95.6B | $3.9B |
| 2011 | $117.6B | $134.4B | $16.7B |
| 2012 | $119.1B | $141.8B | $22.8B |
| 2013 | $118.1B | $138.9B | $20.9B |
| 2014 | $112.0B | $130.2B | $18.2B |
| 2015 | $94.0B | $100.9B | $6.9B |
| 2016 | $84.3B | $89.1B | $4.9B |
| 2017 | $93.3B | $102.6B | $9.3B |
| 2018 | $106.4B | $112.2B | $5.8B |
| 2019 | $95.8B | $108.0B | $12.2B |
| 2020 | $76.8B | $101.6B | $24.8B |
| 2021 | $102.2B | $141.5B | $39.3B |
| 2022 | $119.8B | $147.5B | $27.8B |
| 2023 | $117.2B | $140.0B | $22.8B |
| 2024 | $108.8B | $143.6B | $34.9B |

## Data coverage

- Country: **South Africa (ZAF)**
- Coverage: **2000-2024**
- Publisher: [Yugalinks](https://www.yugalinks.com/)

## Data sources

- Primary trade series: OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-29). [OECD Data Explorer](https://data-explorer.oecd.org/) - [OECD Terms & Conditions](https://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions/)
- CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601): [dataset page](https://www.cepii.fr/CEPII/en/bdd_modele/bdd_modele_item.asp?id=37) - [BACI documentation](https://www.cepii.fr/DATA_DOWNLOAD/baci/doc/baci_webpage.html) - [Etalab 2.0 Open Licence](https://www.etalab.gouv.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/open-licence.pdf)

This page presents derived Yugalinks views of reported observations and calculated indicators.

## Data sources

- Primary trade series: OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-29). [OECD Data Explorer](https://data-explorer.oecd.org/) - [OECD Terms & Conditions](https://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions/)
- CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601): [dataset page](https://www.cepii.fr/CEPII/en/bdd_modele/bdd_modele_item.asp?id=37) - [BACI documentation](https://www.cepii.fr/DATA_DOWNLOAD/baci/doc/baci_webpage.html) - [Etalab 2.0 Open Licence](https://www.etalab.gouv.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/open-licence.pdf)

This page presents derived Yugalinks views of reported observations and calculated indicators.