Summary
- Germany → South Africa
- $6billion
- South Africa → Germany
- $9.3billion
- Germany’s balance
- -$3.2billion
Balance
Germany’s trade balance with South Africa
Trade between Germany and South Africa grew 2.5-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Germany’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 6
- Imports 9.3
- Balance -3.2
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $4.1 billion | $2 billion | $2.1 billion |
| 1996 | $3.3 billion | $2 billion | $1.2 billion |
| 1997 | $3.4 billion | $2 billion | $1.3 billion |
| 1998 | $3.3 billion | $2.4 billion | $859 million |
| 1999 | $3 billion | $2.9 billion | $153 million |
| 2000 | $3 billion | $2.8 billion | $135 million |
| 2001 | $2.9 billion | $3.2 billion | -$271 million |
| 2002 | $3.2 billion | $3 billion | $202 million |
| 2003 | $4.1 billion | $3.1 billion | $928 million |
| 2004 | $5.3 billion | $4 billion | $1.3 billion |
| 2005 | $6.2 billion | $4.4 billion | $1.8 billion |
| 2006 | $7.4 billion | $5.3 billion | $2.1 billion |
| 2007 | $7.7 billion | $6.1 billion | $1.6 billion |
| 2008 | $7.9 billion | $7.5 billion | $450 million |
| 2009 | $6.2 billion | $5.1 billion | $1.1 billion |
| 2010 | $7.3 billion | $6.8 billion | $491 million |
| 2011 | $8.6 billion | $7.3 billion | $1.3 billion |
| 2012 | $8.2 billion | $5.5 billion | $2.7 billion |
| 2013 | $8.5 billion | $5.2 billion | $3.3 billion |
| 2014 | $7.7 billion | $5.6 billion | $2.1 billion |
| 2015 | $6.9 billion | $5.9 billion | $1 billion |
| 2016 | $6.4 billion | $6.3 billion | $101 million |
| 2017 | $6.7 billion | $6.9 billion | -$233 million |
| 2018 | $6.6 billion | $8.2 billion | -$1.7 billion |
| 2019 | $6.8 billion | $9.2 billion | -$2.5 billion |
| 2020 | $4.8 billion | $8.2 billion | -$3.4 billion |
| 2021 | $5.6 billion | $11.8 billion | -$6.2 billion |
| 2022 | $5.9 billion | $12.4 billion | -$6.5 billion |
| 2023 | $5.9 billion | $10.6 billion | -$4.7 billion |
| 2024 | $6 billion | $9.3 billion | -$3.2 billion |
What they sell each other
What Germany sells to South Africa
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
What South Africa sells to Germany
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
How it travels
The estimated sea route between Hamburg and Durban is 7,504 nautical miles (13,897 km) long: ≈ 17.5–22.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).
Passages it crosses: Strait of Dover and Cape of Good Hope.
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 Germany’s 33rd largest trading partner (0.5% of its trade), and Germany was South Africa’s 4th (6%).
- South Africa in Germany’s trade
- 0.5%
- South Africa’s rank among Germany’s partners
- 33rd
- Germany in South Africa’s trade
- 6%
- Germany’s rank among South Africa’s partners
- 4th
Compare with
Other partners of Germany
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.