Summary
- South Africa → United Arab Emirates
- $2.7billion
- United Arab Emirates → South Africa
- $3billion
- South Africa’s balance
- -$294million
Balance
South Africa’s trade balance with the United Arab Emirates
Trade between South Africa and the United Arab Emirates grew 38.3-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). South Africa’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 2.7
- Imports 3
- Balance -0.3
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $86 million | $61 million | $25 million |
| 1996 | $104 million | $128 million | -$24 million |
| 1997 | $125 million | $34 million | $91 million |
| 1998 | $131 million | $32 million | $99 million |
| 1999 | $141 million | $98 million | $43 million |
| 2000 | $146 million | $129 million | $17 million |
| 2001 | $145 million | $100 million | $45 million |
| 2002 | $151 million | $67 million | $84 million |
| 2003 | $300 million | $74 million | $227 million |
| 2004 | $344 million | $108 million | $236 million |
| 2005 | $841 million | $421 million | $420 million |
| 2006 | $556 million | $576 million | -$20 million |
| 2007 | $1.5 billion | $742 million | $723 million |
| 2008 | $3.5 billion | $1.1 billion | $2.4 billion |
| 2009 | $610 million | $474 million | $137 million |
| 2010 | $871 million | $887 million | -$16 million |
| 2011 | $955 million | $950 million | $6 million |
| 2012 | $1.3 billion | $1.1 billion | $193 million |
| 2013 | $1.5 billion | $970 million | $557 million |
| 2014 | $2 billion | $1.5 billion | $581 million |
| 2015 | $1.9 billion | $1.1 billion | $726 million |
| 2016 | $1.8 billion | $1.3 billion | $542 million |
| 2017 | $2.9 billion | $1.3 billion | $1.6 billion |
| 2018 | $3.4 billion | $1.5 billion | $1.8 billion |
| 2019 | $3 billion | $2.3 billion | $754 million |
| 2020 | $4 billion | $1.3 billion | $2.8 billion |
| 2021 | $4.9 billion | $2 billion | $2.9 billion |
| 2022 | $4.6 billion | $4.2 billion | $344 million |
| 2023 | $4.7 billion | $4.2 billion | $436 million |
| 2024 | $2.7 billion | $3 billion | -$294 million |
What they sell each other
What South Africa sells to the United Arab Emirates
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
What the United Arab Emirates 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 Jebel Ali is 4,242 nautical miles (7,856 km) long: ≈ 10–12.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).
Passages it crosses: Strait of Hormuz.
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
The United Arab Emirates was South Africa’s 8th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and South Africa was the United Arab Emirates’ 20th (0.9%).
- The United Arab Emirates in South Africa’s trade
- 2.2%
- The United Arab Emirates’ rank among South Africa’s partners
- 8th
- South Africa in the United Arab Emirates’ trade
- 0.9%
- South Africa’s rank among the United Arab Emirates’ partners
- 20th
Compare with
Other partners of South Africa
Other partners of the United Arab Emirates
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.