Summary
- Australia → South Africa
- $1.3billion
- South Africa → Australia
- $1.4billion
- Australia’s balance
- -$55million
Balance
Australia’s trade balance with South Africa
Trade between Australia and South Africa grew 3.2-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Australia’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 1.3
- Imports 1.4
- Balance -0.1
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $522 million | $326 million | $196 million |
| 1996 | $721 million | $404 million | $317 million |
| 1997 | $767 million | $402 million | $365 million |
| 1998 | $677 million | $380 million | $297 million |
| 1999 | $603 million | $444 million | $158 million |
| 2000 | $739 million | $572 million | $167 million |
| 2001 | $803 million | $520 million | $283 million |
| 2002 | $872 million | $612 million | $260 million |
| 2003 | $951 million | $847 million | $103 million |
| 2004 | $1.2 billion | $1.1 billion | $77 million |
| 2005 | $1.5 billion | $1.4 billion | $86 million |
| 2006 | $1.8 billion | $1.3 billion | $434 million |
| 2007 | $1.7 billion | $1.3 billion | $402 million |
| 2008 | $1.7 billion | $1.5 billion | $210 million |
| 2009 | $1.2 billion | $800 million | $369 million |
| 2010 | $1.7 billion | $1.1 billion | $632 million |
| 2011 | $1.6 billion | $906 million | $743 million |
| 2012 | $1.5 billion | $944 million | $518 million |
| 2013 | $1.4 billion | $938 million | $425 million |
| 2014 | $1.1 billion | $852 million | $273 million |
| 2015 | $987 million | $937 million | $50 million |
| 2016 | $778 million | $821 million | -$43 million |
| 2017 | $1 billion | $963 million | $79 million |
| 2018 | $1.3 billion | $928 million | $407 million |
| 2019 | $1.1 billion | $841 million | $250 million |
| 2020 | $763 million | $776 million | -$13 million |
| 2021 | $1.2 billion | $985 million | $187 million |
| 2022 | $1.3 billion | $1.1 billion | $256 million |
| 2023 | $1.1 billion | $1.1 billion | -$23 million |
| 2024 | $1.3 billion | $1.4 billion | -$55 million |
What they sell each other
What Australia sells to South Africa
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
What South Africa sells to Australia
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
How it travels
The estimated sea route between Sydney and Durban is 6,558 nautical miles (12,145 km) long: ≈ 15–19.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).
It does not cross any major canal or strait.
Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.
Split by transport mode
Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.
How much each matters to the other
South Africa was Australia’s 27th largest trading partner (0.4% of its trade), and Australia was South Africa’s 26th (1%).
- South Africa in Australia’s trade
- 0.4%
- South Africa’s rank among Australia’s partners
- 27th
- Australia in South Africa’s trade
- 1.1%
- Australia’s rank among South Africa’s partners
- 26th
Compare with
Other partners of Australia
Other partners of South Africa
Sources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- World Bank, Global Shipping Traffic Density · CC BY 4.0 (route network derived by this site)
- World Port Index (NGA) · Public domain (US Government work)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.