globaltraffic.earth

Trade between China and South Africa

In 2024, China exported $22.1 billion to South Africa and imported $28.7 billion. China ran a deficit of $6.6 billion with South Africa, compared with a deficit of $3.6 billion in 2019. South Africa was China’s 30th largest trading partner (0.9% of its trade), and China was South Africa’s largest (20%).

Summary

China → South Africa
$22.1billion
South Africa → China
$28.7billion
China’s balance
-$6.6billion

Balance

China’s trade balance with South Africa

Trade between China and South Africa grew 48.6-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). China’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 22.1
  • Imports 28.7
  • Balance -6.6

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$606 million$440 million$166 million
1996$675 million$498 million$177 million
1997$807 million$503 million$304 million
1998$928 million$784 million$144 million
1999$894 million$583 million$311 million
2000$1.1 billion$772 million$296 million
2001$1.1 billion$946 million$168 million
2002$1.4 billion$1 billion$420 million
2003$2.3 billion$1.6 billion$737 million
2004$3.6 billion$1.8 billion$1.8 billion
2005$5 billion$2.8 billion$2.3 billion
2006$7 billion$3.3 billion$3.7 billion
2007$8.7 billion$5.1 billion$3.5 billion
2008$10.1 billion$6.3 billion$3.8 billion
2009$8.4 billion$5.1 billion$3.4 billion
2010$11.9 billion$7.1 billion$4.8 billion
2011$14.9 billion$13.6 billion$1.3 billion
2012$14.9 billion$10 billion$4.8 billion
2013$16.3 billion$10.7 billion$5.5 billion
2014$16.2 billion$10.4 billion$5.9 billion
2015$15.8 billion$30 billion-$14.3 billion
2016$13.8 billion$18.9 billion-$5.2 billion
2017$15.5 billion$20.5 billion-$5 billion
2018$17.2 billion$21.7 billion-$4.6 billion
2019$16.4 billion$20 billion-$3.6 billion
2020$14.3 billion$14.5 billion-$176 million
2021$19.7 billion$21.7 billion-$2 billion
2022$22.9 billion$29.3 billion-$6.4 billion
2023$22.1 billion$29.7 billion-$7.6 billion
2024$22.1 billion$28.7 billion-$6.6 billion

What they sell each other

What China sells to South Africa

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Cameras and broadcast equipment$2 billion · 8.8%
    2 thousand tonnes
  2. Computers$1.1 billion · 5%
    4 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  3. Cars$624 million · 2.8%
    85 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  4. Transformers and power supplies$480 million · 2.2%
    27 thousand tonnes
  5. Batteries$477 million · 2.2%
    29 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  6. Generating sets$416 million · 1.9%
    35 thousand tonnes
  7. Bulldozers and excavators$374 million · 1.7%
    82 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  8. Auto parts$368 million · 1.7%
    89 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  9. Diodes, transistors and solar cells$361 million · 1.6%
    195 thousand tonnes
  10. Rubber and plastic footwear$313 million · 1.4%
    57 thousand tonnes

What South Africa sells to China

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Gold$9 billion · 31.5%
    124 tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  2. Chromium ore$4.7 billion · 16.5%
    12 million tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  3. Iron ore$3.6 billion · 12.6%
    35 million tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  4. Platinum$2.7 billion · 9.5%
    67 tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  5. Manganese ore$1.9 billion · 6.8%
    15.8 million tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  6. Ferroalloys$1.5 billion · 5.3%
    1.5 million tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  7. Diamonds$1.5 billion · 5.2%
    South Africa’s destinations
  8. Unrefined copper$439 million · 1.5%
    49 thousand tonnes
  9. Refined copper$427 million · 1.5%
    51 thousand tonnes · China’s sources
  10. Niobium, tantalum, vanadium and zirconium ore$380 million · 1.3%
    463 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Shanghai to Durban.

The estimated sea route between Shanghai and Durban is 7,195 nautical miles (13,325 km) long: ≈ 16.5–21.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Strait of Malacca and Singapore.

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

  1. Sea$32.7 billion · 64.4%
  2. Air$18.1 billion · 35.6%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

South Africa was China’s 30th largest trading partner (0.9% of its trade), and China was South Africa’s largest (20%).

South Africa in China’s trade
0.9%
South Africa’s rank among China’s partners
30th
China in South Africa’s trade
19.9%
China’s rank among South Africa’s partners
1st

Compare with

Other partners of China

Other partners of South Africa

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

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.