globaltraffic.earth

Trade between South Africa and South Korea

In 2024, South Africa exported $2.5 billion to South Korea and imported $833 million. South Africa ran a surplus of $1.7 billion with South Korea, compared with a surplus of $1.3 billion in 2019. South Korea was South Africa’s 17th largest trading partner (1% of its trade), and South Africa was South Korea’s 44th (0.2%).

Summary

South Africa → South Korea
$2.5billion
South Korea → South Africa
$833million
South Africa’s balance
$1.7billion

Balance

South Africa’s trade balance with South Korea

Trade between South Africa and South Korea grew 79% since 1995

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

  • Exports 2.5
  • Imports 0.8
  • Balance +1.7

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$1.3 billion$554 million$776 million
1996$1.8 billion$651 million$1.1 billion
1997$2.7 billion$559 million$2.2 billion
1998$1 billion$679 million$363 million
1999$1.4 billion$568 million$815 million
2000$992 million$548 million$443 million
2001$716 million$482 million$234 million
2002$633 million$454 million$179 million
2003$890 million$608 million$282 million
2004$1 billion$1 billion$4 million
2005$1.1 billion$1.5 billion-$368 million
2006$1.4 billion$1.8 billion-$428 million
2007$1.7 billion$1.9 billion-$168 million
2008$2.1 billion$1.5 billion$638 million
2009$1.2 billion$1.2 billion-$17 million
2010$2.2 billion$1.8 billion$410 million
2011$2.9 billion$2.3 billion$558 million
2012$2.1 billion$2.3 billion-$229 million
2013$1.7 billion$2.4 billion-$684 million
2014$2 billion$1.5 billion$483 million
2015$1.7 billion$1.3 billion$398 million
2016$1.6 billion$1 billion$537 million
2017$2.6 billion$1 billion$1.6 billion
2018$2.6 billion$1.1 billion$1.5 billion
2019$2.1 billion$872 million$1.3 billion
2020$1.9 billion$682 million$1.2 billion
2021$2.5 billion$1.1 billion$1.4 billion
2022$3.8 billion$1.2 billion$2.6 billion
2023$3.7 billion$1 billion$2.7 billion
2024$2.5 billion$833 million$1.7 billion

What they sell each other

What South Africa sells to South Korea

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

  1. Coal$669 million · 26.4%
    6.1 million tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  2. Iron ore$668 million · 26.4%
    5.2 million tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  3. Platinum$450 million · 17.7%
    10 tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  4. Ferroalloys$190 million · 7.5%
    167 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  5. Cars$96 million · 3.8%
    4 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  6. Cane and beet sugar$66 million · 2.6%
    115 thousand tonnes
  7. Manganese ore$50 million · 2%
    232 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  8. Lead ore$40 million · 1.6%
    24 thousand tonnes
  9. Natural phosphates$36 million · 1.4%
    240 thousand tonnes
  10. Zinc ore$30 million · 1.2%
    30 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s sources

What South Korea sells to South Africa

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

  1. Auto parts$56 million · 6.8%
    8 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  2. Aluminum sheet$53 million · 6.4%
    17 thousand tonnes
  3. Cars$51 million · 6.2%
    6 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  4. Bulldozers and excavators$27 million · 3.3%
    5 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  5. Trucks$27 million · 3.2%
    7 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  6. Pitch and pitch coke$26 million · 3.1%
    25 thousand tonnes
  7. Coal tar oils$22 million · 2.7%
    26 thousand tonnes
  8. Polyethylene$22 million · 2.6%
    15 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  9. Coated paper$18 million · 2.2%
    24 thousand tonnes
  10. Transformers and power supplies$17 million · 2.1%
    1 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Durban to Busan.

The estimated sea route between Durban and Busan is 7,506 nautical miles (13,900 km) long: ≈ 17.5–22.5 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$2.8 billion · 82.3%
  2. Air$597 million · 17.7%

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

How much each matters to the other

South Korea was South Africa’s 17th largest trading partner (1% of its trade), and South Africa was South Korea’s 44th (0.2%).

South Korea in South Africa’s trade
1.3%
South Korea’s rank among South Africa’s partners
17th
South Africa in South Korea’s trade
0.2%
South Africa’s rank among South Korea’s partners
44th

Compare with

Other partners of South Africa

Other partners of South Korea

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.