South Africa flag South Africa: Economic and Political Overview

Foreign trade figures of South Africa

Foreign Trade in Figures

South Africa is very open to international trade, which represents around 61% of its GDP (World Bank, 2025). In 2025, the country mainly exported platinum (10.2% of total exports), gold (7.9%), motor cars (6.6%), goods vehicles (5.4%), iron ores (5.3%), and coal (4.8%). The main imports were refined petroleum oils (12.0%), motor cars (4.7%), crude oil (3.9%), telephones (3.2%), and computers (2.3% - Comtrade for 2025).

South Africa's top export destinations in 2025 were China (11.0%), Germany (7.6%), the United States (7.1%), Japan (4.7%), the United Kingdom (4.6%), and Mozambique (4.5%). Over one-fifth of imports came from China (22.5%), followed by India (7.3%), Germany and the U.S. (6.9% each - Comtrade). South Africa is the EU's largest trading partner in Africa: exports to the EU have been growing and becoming more diverse, with the country moving from mainly commodity-based products to a more diversified export profile that includes manufactured goods (World Bank).

According to the South African Reserve Bank, the country's trade surplus narrowed sharply from ZAR 428.8 billion in Q1 2026 to ZAR 146.4 billion in Q2 as the value of merchandise imports increased more than that of merchandise and net gold exports. Both volumes and prices of goods and services imports rose. The services, income, and current transfer deficit widened from ZAR 247.2 billion to ZAR 351.9 billion, raising its GDP ratio from 3.1% to 4.5%. As a result, the current account swung from a surplus of 2.3% of GDP in Q1 2026 to a deficit of 2.6% in Q2, the widest since 2019. South Africa's terms of trade (including gold) deteriorated in Q2 2026 as the rand price of imports rose more than that of exports.

 
Foreign Trade Indicators 20212022202320242025
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 56.264.965.761.660.9
Trade Balance (million USD) 30,80014,5607,51611,74211,972
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) 26,3529,0103,1237,8128,250
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 9.715.03.9-6.41.1
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 9.77.85.1-2.8-2.5
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 25.031.432.429.929.5
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 31.233.533.331.831.4

Source: World Bank ; Latest available data

 
International Economic Cooperation
South Africa is a member of the following international economic organisations: African Union, WTO, G-20, G-24, G-77, ICC, IMF, among others. For the full list of economic and other international organisations in which participates South Africa click here. International organisation membership of South Africa is also outlined here.
Free Trade Agreements
The complete and up-to-date list of Free Trade Agreements signed by South Africa can be consulted here.
 

Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2025
China 11.0%
Germany 7.6%
United States 7.1%
Japan 4.7%
United Kingdom 4.6%
See More Countries 65.0%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2025
China 22.4%
India 7.3%
Germany 6.9%
United States 6.9%
Oman 3.3%
See More Countries 53.3%

Source: Comtrade, 2026. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

Main Products

123.2 bn USD of products exported in 2025
Platinum, incl. palladium, rhodium, iridium,...Platinum, incl. palladium, rhodium, iridium, osmium and ruthenium, unwrought or in semi-manufactured forms, or in powder form 10.1%
Gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, unwrought...Gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, unwrought or not further worked than semi-manufactured or in powder form 7.9%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 6.6%
Motor vehicles for the transport of goods, incl....Motor vehicles for the transport of goods, incl. chassis with engine and cab 5.4%
Iron ores and concentrates, incl. roasted iron...Iron ores and concentrates, incl. roasted iron pyrites 5.3%
See More Products 64.7%
111.2 bn USD of products imported in 2025
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 12.1%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 4.7%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude 3.9%
Telephone sets, incl. telephones for cellular...Telephone sets, incl. telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks; other apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data, incl. apparatus for communication in a wired or wireless network [such as a local or wide area network]; parts thereof (excl. than transmission or reception apparatus of heading 8443, 8525, 8527 or 8528) 3.2%
Automatic data-processing machines and units...Automatic data-processing machines and units thereof; magnetic or optical readers, machines for transcribing data onto data media in coded form and machines for processing such data, n.e.s. 2.3%
See More Products 73.9%

Source: Comtrade, 2026. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

To go further, check out our service Import-Export Flows.

 

Main Services

12.6 bn USD of services exported in 2022
37.57%
24.69%
12.45%
9.11%
7.48%
3.84%
1.81%
1.64%
0.95%
0.35%
0.09%
0.02%
18.1 bn USD of services imported in 2022
44.35%
19.43%
12.24%
9.46%
8.01%
2.67%
1.70%
1.34%
0.78%
0.02%
n/a%

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2026. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

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Latest Update: October 2026