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Trade between the Netherlands and South Africa

In 2024, the Netherlands exported $1.5 billion to South Africa and imported $3.1 billion. The Netherlands ran a deficit of $1.6 billion with South Africa, compared with a deficit of $1.3 billion in 2019. South Africa was the Netherlands’ 41st largest trading partner (0.4% of its trade), and the Netherlands was South Africa’s 12th (2%).

Summary

Netherlands → South Africa
$1.5billion
South Africa → Netherlands
$3.1billion
The Netherlands’ balance
-$1.6billion

Balance

The Netherlands’ trade balance with South Africa

Trade between the Netherlands and South Africa grew 3.3-fold since 1995

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

  • Exports 1.5
  • Imports 3.1
  • Balance -1.6

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$652 million$717 million-$65 million
1996$652 million$813 million-$161 million
1997$731 million$800 million-$70 million
1998$648 million$942 million-$295 million
1999$602 million$1 billion-$432 million
2000$524 million$921 million-$397 million
2001$493 million$1.2 billion-$704 million
2002$491 million$1 billion-$540 million
2003$553 million$1.4 billion-$847 million
2004$694 million$1.5 billion-$786 million
2005$827 million$2.2 billion-$1.3 billion
2006$1.2 billion$2.9 billion-$1.8 billion
2007$1.3 billion$3.2 billion-$1.9 billion
2008$1.3 billion$3.5 billion-$2.2 billion
2009$1.2 billion$2.5 billion-$1.3 billion
2010$1.4 billion$2.3 billion-$921 million
2011$1.5 billion$2.7 billion-$1.1 billion
2012$1.8 billion$2.7 billion-$885 million
2013$1.6 billion$3.1 billion-$1.5 billion
2014$1.5 billion$3.1 billion-$1.5 billion
2015$1.3 billion$1.8 billion-$481 million
2016$1.4 billion$1.9 billion-$579 million
2017$1.3 billion$2.6 billion-$1.3 billion
2018$1.2 billion$2.8 billion-$1.6 billion
2019$1.2 billion$2.5 billion-$1.3 billion
2020$1 billion$3.1 billion-$2.1 billion
2021$1.6 billion$3 billion-$1.4 billion
2022$1.6 billion$4.4 billion-$2.8 billion
2023$1.6 billion$3.2 billion-$1.6 billion
2024$1.5 billion$3.1 billion-$1.6 billion

What they sell each other

What the Netherlands sells to South Africa

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

  1. Refined petroleum$258 million · 17.5%
    307 thousand tonnes · the Netherlands’ destinations
  2. Computers$170 million · 11.6%
    638 tonnes · the Netherlands’ destinations
  3. Catalysts$53 million · 3.6%
    791 tonnes
  4. Coal tar oils$40 million · 2.7%
    45 thousand tonnes
  5. Paper boxes and packaging$31 million · 2.1%
    10 thousand tonnes
  6. Pet and animal feed$28 million · 1.9%
    13 thousand tonnes
  7. Medical and dental instruments$26 million · 1.8%
    86 tonnes · the Netherlands’ destinations
  8. Instant coffee and tea extracts$26 million · 1.8%
    2 thousand tonnes
  9. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$19 million · 1.3%
    475 tonnes · the Netherlands’ destinations
  10. Vaccines, blood and antisera$19 million · 1.3%
    78 tonnes · the Netherlands’ destinations

What South Africa sells to the Netherlands

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

  1. Citrus fruit$354 million · 11.4%
    490 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  2. Iron ore$328 million · 10.6%
    4.9 million tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  3. Grapes$262 million · 8.4%
    161 thousand tonnes
  4. Ferroalloys$258 million · 8.3%
    145 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  5. Unwrought aluminum$163 million · 5.2%
    86 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  6. Coal$150 million · 4.8%
    1.7 million tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  7. Avocados, mangoes, pineapples and dates$147 million · 4.7%
    55 thousand tonnes
  8. Unwrought nickel$107 million · 3.4%
    7 thousand tonnes
  9. Refined copper$102 million · 3.3%
    6 thousand tonnes
  10. Fruit and vegetable juices$98 million · 3.2%
    35 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Rotterdam to Durban.

The estimated sea route between Rotterdam and Durban is 7,238 nautical miles (13,404 km) long: ≈ 17–21.5 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

  1. Sea$4 billion · 87.7%
  2. Air$564 million · 12.3%

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

How much each matters to the other

South Africa was the Netherlands’ 41st largest trading partner (0.4% of its trade), and the Netherlands was South Africa’s 12th (2%).

South Africa in the Netherlands’ trade
0.4%
South Africa’s rank among the Netherlands’ partners
41st
The Netherlands in South Africa’s trade
1.8%
The Netherlands’ rank among South Africa’s partners
12th

Compare with

Other partners of the Netherlands

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.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.