Imports

In 2022, the Republic of South Africa imported $111.3 billion worth of goods from around the world. Compared to $93.6 billion in 2021, imports increased by 18.9%.

South Africa's most valuable imports in 2022 include processed petroleum, automobiles, crude oil, telephone equipment including smartphones, and computers. These key imports account for 29.6% of South Africa's total import spending in 2022.

South Africa's best international trade suppliers

The latest country-specific data shows that South Africa's imports are mainly supplied by exporters from the following countries: mainland China (35.6% of South Africa's global total), India (7.5%), Germany (5.2%), the United States U.S.A. (5.1%), Saudi Arabia (4%), UAE (2.8%), Thailand (2.7%), Japan (2.2%), Oman (2.2%), Italy (1.8%), Nigeria (1.7%) ) and France (1.3%).

South Africa's top 10 imports

1. Mineral fuels including oil: $25.3 billion (22.7% of total imports)

2. Machinery including computers: $12.5 billion (11.2%)

3. Electrical machinery and equipment: $10.4 billion (9.3%)

4. Vehicles: $8.3 billion (7.5%)

5. Plastics, plastic products: $3.2 billion (2.9%)

6. Pharmaceuticals: $2.5 billion (2.3%)

7. Optical, technical, medical equipment: $2.3 billion (2.1%)

8. Other chemicals: $2.2 billion (2.0%)

9. Inorganic chemicals: $2.03 billion (1.8%)

10. books, newspapers, pictures: $2.01 billion (1.8%)

South Africa's top 10 imports are close to two-thirds (63.6%) of the total value of products it purchases from other countries.

The fastest-growing South African import categories from 2021 to 2022 are mineral fuels, including petroleum (up 63.4%), vehicles (up 31%), inorganic chemicals (up 26.7%), followed by electrical machinery and equipment (up 20.5%).

The only decline in South Africa's most valuable imports was pharmaceuticals, which fell by -17.5% from 2021.

Exports

The Republic of South Africa, the southernmost country on the African continent, exported $123.4 billion worth of products to the world in 2022. Compared to the previous year, the total value of South Africa's exports decreased by -0.3% from $123.7 billion in 2021.

South Africa's largest exports by value in 2022 were platinum, coal, iron, automobiles and gold. South Africa ranks first in platinum exports, is one of the world's leading exporters of iron, and is a major competitor in the international market for coal sales.

South Africa's best international trade customers

The latest country-specific data shows that South Africa's exports are mainly purchased by importers in mainland China (9.7% of South Africa's global total), the USA (8.8%), Germany (8.1%), Japan (7%), the UK (5.1%), the Netherlands (4.8%), Mozambique (4.7%), India (4.2%), Botswana (3.8%), Belgium ( 3.2%), Namibia (2.8%) and Zimbabwe (2.6%).

South Africa's top 10 exports

1. gemstones, precious metals: $26.9 billion (21.8% of total exports)

2. fossil fuels including oil: $16.9 billion (13.7%)

3. ores, slag, ash: $16.4 billion (13.3%)

4. Vehicles: $11.1 billion (9%)

5. Iron and steel: $6.7 billion (5.4%)

6. machinery including computers: $6.6 billion (5.4%)

7. Fruits, nuts: $4.4 billion (3.6%)

8. Aluminum: $2 billion (1.6%)

9. motors, equipment: $1.87 billion (1.5%)

10. inorganic chemicals: $1.86 billion (1.5%)

South Africa's top 10 exports exceeded three-quarters (76.8%) of its total global exports.

Mineral fuels, including petroleum, are the fastest growing of the top ten export categories, growing by 64.0% from 2021 to 2022. The second highest improvement in export sales is for inorganic chemicals: up 38.3%. South Africa had the third highest increase in shipments of electrical machinery and equipment, up 10.1% year-on-year.

The largest decline in South Africa's top ten export categories was Gems and Precious Metals, down -22.8%. This product category was dragged down by a decline in South Africa's gold and platinum export revenues.

Please note that the results listed above are at the two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level of the classification. For a more detailed view of exports at the four-digit HTS code level, see the Searchable List of South Africa's Most Valuable Exports section near the bottom of this article.

Tendata iTrader boasts customs data from over 80 countries, commercial data from 198 countries, and a database of 130 million plus buyers. Tendata iTrader processes a rolling 10 billion daily trade data, enabling swift and intelligent filtration of contact details for 121 million executives and decision-makers, including emails, phone numbers, social media, and more. Additionally, Tendata iTrader can simultaneously display company directories, product images, and website links, while offering 17 visual reports. This assists foreign trade enterprises in pinpointing and analyzing markets accurately, helping you swiftly identify the precise purchasers and suppliers you need. (>>>Click to Apply for Free Trial<<<)

Step One: One-Click Search for Your Global Prospects

Tendata iTrader seamlessly integrates customs data from 80+ countries, commercial data from 198 countries and regions, and internet data from 141 countries. A single search yields global target clients in 0.01 seconds without waiting. (>>>Click to Find Global Buyers<<<)

Step Two: Rapid Analysis to Identify Your Target Clients

The comprehensive customer information provided by Tendata iTrader assists us in analyzing detailed buyer information and furnishing extensive personal contact details of executives. This information is a highly valuable sales asset. (>>>Click to Analyze Your Target Clients<<<)