South Africa Balance of Trade

Last Release

Jan 31, 2025

Actual

-16,420

Units In

ZAR Million

15,460

Frequency

Monthly

Next Release

Mar 31, 2025

Time to Release

29 Days 14 Hours

Highest	Lowest	Average	Date Range	Source
53,829.82 Mar 2021	-36,052.2 Apr 2020	1,497.89 ZAR Million	1957-2025	South African Revenue Service

In 2017, South Africa recorded the biggest trade deficits with China, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Thailand, France, Nigeria, Italy and Brazil and the biggest trade surpluses with Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Belgium and Netherlands.

Latest Updates

South Africa posted a trade gap of ZAR 16.4 billion in January 2025, compared to a downwardly revised ZAR 14.7 billion in the prior month, marking the first monthly trade shortfall in a year and the steepest since January 2023. Imports jumped by 14.4% over a month to an over one-year high of ZAR 165.4 billion, boosted by a 68% rise in purchases of original equipment components. Imports also increased for vehicles & transport equipment (+24%), chemical products (+19%) and machinery & electronics (+14%), but fell for mineral products (-12%). Meanwhile, exports declined by 6.4% to a one-year low of ZAR 149 billion, dragged down by lower shipments of precious metals & stones (-25%) and vehicles & transport equipment (-29%). However, overseas sales increased for vegetable products (+29%), base metals (+17%) and mineral products (+11%).