Summary
- South Africa → Thailand
- $614million
- Thailand → South Africa
- $2.5billion
- South Africa’s balance
- -$1.9billion
Balance
South Africa’s trade balance with Thailand
Trade between South Africa and Thailand grew 6.5-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). South Africa’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 0.6
- Imports 2.5
- Balance -1.9
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $259 million | $217 million | $42 million |
| 1996 | $267 million | $195 million | $71 million |
| 1997 | $291 million | $275 million | $16 million |
| 1998 | $187 million | $313 million | -$125 million |
| 1999 | $259 million | $259 million | $449 thousand |
| 2000 | $324 million | $297 million | $27 million |
| 2001 | $252 million | $230 million | $22 million |
| 2002 | $245 million | $224 million | $21 million |
| 2003 | $299 million | $366 million | -$67 million |
| 2004 | $449 million | $518 million | -$68 million |
| 2005 | $396 million | $622 million | -$225 million |
| 2006 | $386 million | $776 million | -$390 million |
| 2007 | $574 million | $1 billion | -$462 million |
| 2008 | $816 million | $1.3 billion | -$516 million |
| 2009 | $439 million | $1.1 billion | -$644 million |
| 2010 | $548 million | $1.4 billion | -$890 million |
| 2011 | $1.4 billion | $1.8 billion | -$392 million |
| 2012 | $1.9 billion | $2.1 billion | -$207 million |
| 2013 | $2.2 billion | $2 billion | $276 million |
| 2014 | $1.1 billion | $1.7 billion | -$546 million |
| 2015 | $834 million | $1.4 billion | -$575 million |
| 2016 | $743 million | $1.3 billion | -$508 million |
| 2017 | $819 million | $1.5 billion | -$720 million |
| 2018 | $952 million | $1.7 billion | -$749 million |
| 2019 | $630 million | $1.5 billion | -$911 million |
| 2020 | $478 million | $1.3 billion | -$803 million |
| 2021 | $741 million | $1.6 billion | -$811 million |
| 2022 | $758 million | $1.7 billion | -$953 million |
| 2023 | $564 million | $2 billion | -$1.4 billion |
| 2024 | $614 million | $2.5 billion | -$1.9 billion |
What they sell each other
What South Africa sells to Thailand
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
What Thailand sells to South Africa
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
How it travels
The estimated sea route between Durban and Laem Chabang is 5,802 nautical miles (10,745 km) long: ≈ 13.5–17.5 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
Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.
How much each matters to the other
Thailand was South Africa’s 21st largest trading partner (1% of its trade), and South Africa was Thailand’s 29th (0.5%).
- Thailand in South Africa’s trade
- 1.2%
- Thailand’s rank among South Africa’s partners
- 21st
- South Africa in Thailand’s trade
- 0.5%
- South Africa’s rank among Thailand’s partners
- 29th
Compare with
Other partners of South Africa
Other partners of Thailand
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.