# Solomon Islands Export Playbook for Africa

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> Yugalinks regional export playbook

Compare buyer markets, access conditions, and calculated product opportunities in Africa. Use this guide to prioritize research, not to treat calculated indicators as guaranteed sales.

## Navigation

- [Yugalinks home](https://www.yugalinks.com/)
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- [Data sources](https://www.yugalinks.com/data-sources)
- [Methodology](https://www.yugalinks.com/methodology)

## Overview

- Exporter: Solomon Islands (SLB)
- Region: Africa
- Latest trade year: 2024
- Buyer markets: 4
- Calculated three-year opportunity: $1.2B
- Reported FTA markets: 0
- Average reported distance: 14,938 km
- Average business entry indicator: 22 days

## Market comparison

| Market | ISO3 | Opportunity | Products | FTA | Distance | Entry days | Top product |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | --- | ---: | ---: | --- |
| South Africa | ZAF | $1.0B | 9 | Not reported | 13,719 km | 40 | Vehicle parts and accessories: n.e.c. in heading no. 8708 |
| Angola | AGO | $57.3M | 1 | Not reported | 15,819 km | 36 | Motorcycles (including mopeds) and cycles: fitted with an auxiliary motor, reciprocating internal combustion piston engine, of cylinder capacity exceeding 50cc but not exceeding 250cc, with or without side-cars: side-cars |
| Mauritius | MUS | $50.8M | 1 | Not reported | 10,931 km | 5 | Fish: frozen, skipjack tuna (stripe-bellied bonito) (Katsuwonus pelamis), excluding fillets, fish meat of 0304, and edible fish offal of subheadings 0303.91 to 0303.99 |
| Sierra Leone | SLE | $36.4M | 1 | Not reported | 19,282 km | 8 | Cigarettes: containing tobacco |

## Product and market opportunities

| Rank | Market | Product | Opportunity | Buyer growth | Current share |
| ---: | --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 870899 - Vehicle parts and accessories: n.e.c. in heading no. 8708 | $236.0M | +4.5% | +0.0% |
| 2 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 870829 - Vehicles: parts and accessories, of bodies, other than safety seat belts | $191.9M | +3.0% | +0.0% |
| 3 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 392690 - Plastics: other articles n.e.s. in chapter 39 | $131.3M | +8.3% | +0.0% |
| 4 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 852580 - Television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders | $117.7M | +7.6% | +0.0% |
| 5 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 790111 - Zinc: unwrought, (not alloyed), containing by weight 99.99% or more of zinc | $91.9M | +18.7% | +0.1% |
| 6 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 840999 - Engines: parts for internal combustion piston engines (excluding spark-ignition) | $83.3M | +5.7% | +0.0% |
| 7 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 010229 - Cattle: live, other than pure-bred breeding animals | $78.1M | +16.0% | +0.0% |
| 8 | Angola (AGO) | HS 871120 - Motorcycles (including mopeds) and cycles: fitted with an auxiliary motor, reciprocating internal combustion piston engine, of cylinder capacity exceeding 50cc but not exceeding 250cc, with or without side-cars: side-cars | $57.3M | +15.2% | +0.0% |
| 9 | Mauritius (MUS) | HS 030343 - Fish: frozen, skipjack tuna (stripe-bellied bonito) (Katsuwonus pelamis), excluding fillets, fish meat of 0304, and edible fish offal of subheadings 0303.91 to 0303.99 | $50.8M | +10.7% | +0.1% |
| 10 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 731815 - Iron or steel: threaded screws and bolts n.e.s. in item no. 7318.1, whether or not with their nuts or washers | $49.3M | +8.1% | +0.0% |
| 11 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 847330 - Machines: parts and accessories of automatic data processing, magnetic or optical readers, digital processing units | $36.5M | -5.6% | +0.0% |
| 12 | Sierra Leone (SLE) | HS 240220 - Cigarettes: containing tobacco | $36.4M | +8.6% | +0.5% |

## Sector opportunities

| Sector | Products | Reported buyer imports | Opportunity | Average growth |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| HS2 87 - HS2 sector 87 | 3 | $1.5B | $485.2M | +7.6% |
| HS2 39 - HS2 sector 39 | 1 | $306.2M | $131.3M | +8.3% |
| HS2 84 - HS2 sector 84 | 2 | $309.8M | $119.8M | +0.1% |
| HS2 85 - HS2 sector 85 | 1 | $184.8M | $117.7M | +7.6% |
| HS2 79 - HS2 sector 79 | 1 | $101.6M | $91.9M | +18.7% |
| HS2 01 - HS2 sector 01 | 1 | $78.1M | $78.1M | +16.0% |
| HS2 03 - HS2 sector 03 | 1 | $75.7M | $50.8M | +10.7% |
| HS2 73 - HS2 sector 73 | 1 | $175.9M | $49.3M | +8.1% |

## Frequently asked questions

### Should Solomon Islands focus on Africa?

Use the market ranking as a starting point, then check product fit, buyer requirements, route costs, tariffs, standards, and competitive conditions.

### What does calculated opportunity mean?

It is a screening indicator built from demand and exporter-position signals. It is not a confirmed order, sales forecast, or guarantee of market entry.

### How should exporters use this page?

Prioritize one market and product combination, then validate buyers, compliance, logistics, pricing, and continuity before making a commercial decision.

## Method

Reported trade observations and calculated indicators are shown separately. Validate buyers, tariffs, standards, logistics, pricing, and competition before acting.

Yugalinks presents derived views for research and planning. [Read the full methodology](https://www.yugalinks.com/methodology).

## Data sources

- Primary trade series: OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-30). [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.