globaltraffic.earth

Where does South Africa get its mobile phones? Import sources 2024

In 2024, South Africa imported $3 billion of mobile phones (1 thousand tonnes), 0.5% of the world total. China sold 65% of the total, followed by Vietnam (11%) and India (8%). South Africa was the world’s 36th-largest importer of mobile phones.

Summary

Value
$3billion
Tonnes
1thousand tonnes
Share of world total
0.5%
World rank
36th
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
China1.9Tonnes: 832USD per tonne: $2,339,15865.4%Air
Vietnam0.34Tonnes: 143USD per tonne: $2,382,99011.5%Air
India0.22Tonnes: 7USD per tonne: $31,253,3557.5%Air
Taiwan0.1Tonnes: 6USD per tonne: $17,295,5323.5%Air
Mexico0.07Tonnes: 5USD per tonne: $15,222,3852.3%Air
United States0.04Tonnes: 12USD per tonne: $3,716,7791.5%Air
Malaysia0.04Tonnes: 3USD per tonne: $11,352,3381.3%Air
Thailand0.03Tonnes: 2USD per tonne: $18,203,0421.1%Air
Germany0.02Tonnes: 73USD per tonne: $264,5780.65%Air
United Kingdom0.02Tonnes: 15USD per tonne: $1,194,6160.61%Air
Czechia0.01Tonnes: 2USD per tonne: $5,669,0100.44%Air
Canada0.01Tonnes: 4USD per tonne: $3,025,4840.42%Air
Indonesia0.01Tonnes: 50USD per tonne: $222,4690.37%Air
Latvia0.01Tonnes: 109USD per tonne: $80,6650.3%Air
Romania0.01Tonnes: 0USD per tonne: $27,144,8520.27%Air
Singapore re-exports0.01Tonnes: 1USD per tonne: $13,725,3990.24%Air
Finland0.01Tonnes: 0USD per tonne: $30,860,8760.22%Air
Netherlands re-exports0.01Tonnes: 21USD per tonne: $285,7780.2%Air
South Korea0.01Tonnes: 3USD per tonne: $2,189,5870.2%Air
France0.01Tonnes: 3USD per tonne: $1,887,2550.19%Air

Trend

Who it buys from

China has been its main source since 2001

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • China 1.9
  • Vietnam 0.34
  • India 0.22
  • Taiwan 0.1
  • Mexico 0.07

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
China< 0.011.9
Vietnam00.34
India00.22
Taiwan< 0.010.1
Mexico00.07

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

See all products