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Trade between Malaysia and South Africa

In 2024, Malaysia exported $930 million to South Africa and imported $851 million. Malaysia ran a surplus of $79 million with South Africa, compared with a surplus of $99 million in 2019. South Africa was Malaysia’s 35th largest trading partner (0.3% of its trade), and Malaysia was South Africa’s 33rd (0.7%).

Summary

Malaysia → South Africa
$930million
South Africa → Malaysia
$851million
Malaysia’s balance
$79million

Balance

Malaysia’s trade balance with South Africa

Trade between Malaysia and South Africa grew 3.1-fold since 1995

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

  • Exports 0.9
  • Imports 0.9
  • Balance +0.1

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$282 million$288 million-$7 million
1996$308 million$276 million$32 million
1997$338 million$431 million-$93 million
1998$357 million$134 million$222 million
1999$303 million$199 million$104 million
2000$318 million$245 million$73 million
2001$299 million$254 million$44 million
2002$372 million$216 million$156 million
2003$414 million$234 million$180 million
2004$601 million$393 million$208 million
2005$701 million$361 million$340 million
2006$866 million$460 million$406 million
2007$1.1 billion$613 million$492 million
2008$1.1 billion$943 million$174 million
2009$870 million$779 million$91 million
2010$1.2 billion$1.1 billion$68 million
2011$1.3 billion$1.7 billion-$395 million
2012$1.4 billion$1.5 billion-$173 million
2013$1 billion$1.1 billion-$122 million
2014$1 billion$921 million$112 million
2015$908 million$736 million$171 million
2016$804 million$624 million$180 million
2017$890 million$830 million$60 million
2018$1 billion$829 million$183 million
2019$899 million$800 million$99 million
2020$756 million$526 million$230 million
2021$977 million$559 million$418 million
2022$1.7 billion$1 billion$623 million
2023$1.2 billion$782 million$463 million
2024$930 million$851 million$79 million

What they sell each other

What Malaysia sells to South Africa

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

  1. Palm oil$183 million · 19.7%
    181 thousand tonnes · Malaysia’s destinations
  2. Refined petroleum$178 million · 19.2%
    239 thousand tonnes · Malaysia’s destinations
  3. Cameras and broadcast equipment$39 million · 4.2%
    4 tonnes
  4. Printers and printing machines$30 million · 3.2%
    373 tonnes
  5. Computer and office machine parts$26 million · 2.8%
    22 tonnes
  6. Control panels$21 million · 2.3%
    131 tonnes
  7. Acetic acid and other saturated acids$16 million · 1.7%
    12 thousand tonnes
  8. Rubber gloves and clothing$15 million · 1.6%
    4 thousand tonnes
  9. Coated flat steel$14 million · 1.6%
    10 thousand tonnes
  10. Aluminum wire$14 million · 1.5%
    5 thousand tonnes

What South Africa sells to Malaysia

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

  1. Unwrought nickel$196 million · 23%
    11 thousand tonnes
  2. Manganese ore$99 million · 11.6%
    656 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  3. Cane and beet sugar$87 million · 10.2%
    157 thousand tonnes
  4. Coal$80 million · 9.4%
    728 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  5. Apples and pears$48 million · 5.6%
    43 thousand tonnes
  6. Citrus fruit$46 million · 5.4%
    50 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  7. Unwrought aluminum$41 million · 4.8%
    25 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  8. Niobium, tantalum, vanadium and zirconium ore$40 million · 4.8%
    22 thousand tonnes
  9. Nickel matte$32 million · 3.8%
    2 thousand tonnes
  10. Iron ore$17 million · 2%
    156 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Port Klang to Durban.

The estimated sea route between Port Klang and Durban is 4,862 nautical miles (9,005 km) long: ≈ 11.5–14.5 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

  1. Sea$1.6 billion · 88.3%
  2. Air$209 million · 11.7%

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

How much each matters to the other

South Africa was Malaysia’s 35th largest trading partner (0.3% of its trade), and Malaysia was South Africa’s 33rd (0.7%).

South Africa in Malaysia’s trade
0.3%
South Africa’s rank among Malaysia’s partners
35th
Malaysia in South Africa’s trade
0.7%
Malaysia’s rank among South Africa’s partners
33rd

Compare with

Other partners of Malaysia

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.