Who does South Africa rely on?

1. China$22.1 billion · 22.2%
2. India$7.3 billion · 7.4%
3. Germany$6 billion · 6.1%
4. United States$6 billion · 6%
5. Oman$3 billion · 3%
6. United Arab Emirates$3 billion · 3%
7. Nigeria$2.5 billion · 2.6%
8. Saudi Arabia$2.5 billion · 2.5%
9. Thailand$2.5 billion · 2.5%
10. Italy$2.4 billion · 2.4%

Some of these goods may have been produced in another country: countries record origin in different ways.

Of the 981 products South Africa buys for more than $1 million in 2024, these are the highest-value ones with a dominant supplier.

and 395 more

A product has a dominant supplier when a single country sells more than 50% of what is bought of it; we flag it separately above 75%.

Some of these goods may have been produced in another country: countries record origin in different ways.

Largest customer: China

18.4%

Concentration (HHI)

673

Concentration index (HHI): 673 out of 10,000; equivalent to splitting sales among 15 customers of the same size

201 of the 923 products South Africa sells for more than $1 million have a customer buying more than 50% of what South Africa sells of that product; in 60, more than 75%. In those products, sales to each one’s dominant customer add up to 13.2% of what South Africa sells.

and 186 more

The closest countries in the concentration ranking (HHI, highest first).

• Trade profile of South Africa
• Trade between South Africa and Angola
• Trade between South Africa and Australia
• Trade between South Africa and Belgium
• Trade between South Africa and Botswana
• Trade between South Africa and Brazil
• Trade between South Africa and Canada
• Trade between South Africa and China
• Trade between South Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Trade between South Africa and Eswatini
• Trade between South Africa and France
• Trade between South Africa and Germany
• Trade between South Africa and Hong Kong
• Trade between South Africa and India
• Trade between South Africa and Indonesia
• Trade between South Africa and Italy
• Trade between South Africa and Japan
• Trade between South Africa and Lesotho
• Trade between South Africa and Malaysia
• Trade between South Africa and Mexico
• Trade between South Africa and Mozambique
• Trade between South Africa and Namibia
• Trade between South Africa and the Netherlands
• Trade between South Africa and Nigeria
• Trade between South Africa and Oman
• Trade between South Africa and Poland
• Trade between South Africa and Saudi Arabia
• Trade between South Africa and Singapore
• Trade between South Africa and South Korea
• Trade between South Africa and Spain
• Trade between South Africa and Switzerland
• Trade between South Africa and Taiwan
• Trade between South Africa and Tanzania
• Trade between South Africa and Thailand
• Trade between South Africa and Turkey
• Trade between South Africa and the United Arab Emirates
• Trade between South Africa and the United Kingdom
• Trade between South Africa and the United States
• Trade between South Africa and Vietnam
• Trade between South Africa and Zambia
• Trade between South Africa and Zimbabwe
• Dependence of South Africa on China
• Dependence of South Africa on Tanzania
• Dependence of South Africa on Zimbabwe
• Dependence of South Africa on Mozambique
• Dependence of South Africa on Eswatini
• Dependence of South Africa on Australia
• All countries

Sources and licenses

• CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
• Natural Earth · Public domain

Methodology

The data come from CEPII BACI (Etalab 2.0 licence), which reconciles what the exporting and the importing country report, in current USD, FOB. Data up to 2024.

Dependence is the share of a country’s imports (or exports) that each partner accounts for. It does not measure whether a product has a substitute or how much it would cost to change supplier.

The concentration index (HHI) adds up the square of each partner’s share, in percent: it runs from 0 to 10,000. Its equivalent is 10,000 ÷ HHI, the number of partners of the same size that would give that value.

Products are HS4 headings of the 1992 nomenclature (some combine different goods), with a floor of $1 million per product and country.

The EU is the 27 current members in every year; the United Kingdom is outside the EU throughout the series.

Re-exports: countries that act as redistribution hubs carry their notice and the figures are not corrected.