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Trade between South Africa and Taiwan

In 2024, South Africa exported $806 million to Taiwan and imported $673 million. South Africa ran a surplus of $133 million with Taiwan, compared with a deficit of $175 million in 2019. Taiwan was South Africa’s 37th largest trading partner (0.6% of its trade), and South Africa was Taiwan’s 39th (0.2%).

Summary

South Africa → Taiwan
$806million
Taiwan → South Africa
$673million
South Africa’s balance
$133million

Balance

South Africa’s trade balance with Taiwan

Trade between South Africa and Taiwan is about the same as in 1995

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

  • Exports 0.8
  • Imports 0.7
  • Balance +0.1

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$699 million$888 million-$189 million
1996$736 million$839 million-$102 million
1997$1.1 billion$838 million$301 million
1998$810 million$724 million$86 million
1999$757 million$680 million$76 million
2000$770 million$648 million$122 million
2001$624 million$559 million$65 million
2002$641 million$536 million$105 million
2003$782 million$646 million$135 million
2004$1.7 billion$817 million$875 million
2005$1 billion$861 million$168 million
2006$1 billion$1.1 billion-$120 million
2007$1.2 billion$1.1 billion$55 million
2008$1.3 billion$1.1 billion$263 million
2009$930 million$796 million$134 million
2010$1.2 billion$945 million$291 million
2011$1.5 billion$1.2 billion$240 million
2012$1.3 billion$1.2 billion$114 million
2013$1.4 billion$1.1 billion$247 million
2014$1.1 billion$976 million$162 million
2015$695 million$905 million-$210 million
2016$639 million$728 million-$90 million
2017$1 billion$745 million$274 million
2018$1 billion$805 million$217 million
2019$565 million$739 million-$175 million
2020$512 million$570 million-$58 million
2021$978 million$763 million$215 million
2022$1.5 billion$930 million$598 million
2023$1.2 billion$689 million$520 million
2024$806 million$673 million$133 million

What they sell each other

What South Africa sells to Taiwan

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

  1. Coal$231 million · 28.6%
    1.5 million tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  2. Platinum$124 million · 15.4%
    6 tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  3. Cars$89 million · 11.1%
    4 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  4. Copper ore$67 million · 8.3%
    36 thousand tonnes
  5. Ferroalloys$51 million · 6.4%
    33 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  6. Precious metal ore$31 million · 3.8%
    10 thousand tonnes
  7. Trucks$21 million · 2.6%
    2 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  8. Semi-finished steel$15 million · 1.9%
    18 thousand tonnes
  9. Mollusks (squid, mussels, oysters)$10 million · 1.2%
    380 tonnes
  10. Other nuts (almonds, walnuts)$9 million · 1.1%
    1 thousand tonnes

What Taiwan sells to South Africa

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

  1. Cameras and broadcast equipment$103 million · 15.4%
    16 tonnes
  2. Polystyrene$38 million · 5.7%
    25 thousand tonnes
  3. Computer and office machine parts$32 million · 4.7%
    94 tonnes
  4. Microchips$21 million · 3.2%
    5 tonnes · Taiwan’s destinations
  5. Computers$20 million · 2.9%
    141 tonnes · Taiwan’s destinations
  6. Auto parts$17 million · 2.6%
    3 thousand tonnes · Taiwan’s destinations
  7. Stainless steel sheet$13 million · 2%
    6 thousand tonnes
  8. Screws, bolts and nuts$12 million · 1.8%
    3 thousand tonnes
  9. Polyethers, polyesters and epoxy resins$12 million · 1.7%
    5 thousand tonnes
  10. Motorcycle and bicycle parts$11 million · 1.7%
    221 tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Durban to Kaohsiung.

The estimated sea route between Durban and Kaohsiung is 6,621 nautical miles (12,263 km) long: ≈ 15.5–19.5 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$1.1 billion · 71.1%
  2. Air$428 million · 28.9%

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

How much each matters to the other

Taiwan was South Africa’s 37th largest trading partner (0.6% of its trade), and South Africa was Taiwan’s 39th (0.2%).

Taiwan in South Africa’s trade
0.6%
Taiwan’s rank among South Africa’s partners
37th
South Africa in Taiwan’s trade
0.2%
South Africa’s rank among Taiwan’s partners
39th

Compare with

Other partners of South Africa

Other partners of Taiwan

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.