Summary
- South Africa → United Kingdom
- $12.8billion
- United Kingdom → South Africa
- $1.6billion
- South Africa’s balance
- $11.1billion
Balance
South Africa’s trade balance with the United Kingdom
Trade between South Africa and the United Kingdom grew 2.4-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). South Africa’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 12.8
- Imports 1.6
- Balance +11.1
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $2.9 billion | $3 billion | -$67 million |
| 1996 | $2.3 billion | $3.1 billion | -$814 million |
| 1997 | $2.5 billion | $2.8 billion | -$287 million |
| 1998 | $2.7 billion | $2.6 billion | $67 million |
| 1999 | $3.3 billion | $2.3 billion | $1 billion |
| 2000 | $4.3 billion | $2.3 billion | $2 billion |
| 2001 | $4.7 billion | $2.1 billion | $2.6 billion |
| 2002 | $5.7 billion | $2.4 billion | $3.4 billion |
| 2003 | $6.7 billion | $2.9 billion | $3.8 billion |
| 2004 | $6.7 billion | $3.2 billion | $3.5 billion |
| 2005 | $7 billion | $3 billion | $4 billion |
| 2006 | $7.4 billion | $3.4 billion | $4 billion |
| 2007 | $9 billion | $3.7 billion | $5.3 billion |
| 2008 | $11.3 billion | $3.3 billion | $7.9 billion |
| 2009 | $6 billion | $3 billion | $3 billion |
| 2010 | $6.6 billion | $3.9 billion | $2.7 billion |
| 2011 | $4.8 billion | $5.1 billion | -$218 million |
| 2012 | $4.3 billion | $5 billion | -$703 million |
| 2013 | $4.7 billion | $3.4 billion | $1.3 billion |
| 2014 | $6.2 billion | $3.2 billion | $3 billion |
| 2015 | $6 billion | $2.7 billion | $3.3 billion |
| 2016 | $9.9 billion | $2.1 billion | $7.8 billion |
| 2017 | $8 billion | $2.3 billion | $5.7 billion |
| 2018 | $8.4 billion | $2.2 billion | $6.2 billion |
| 2019 | $8.6 billion | $1.9 billion | $6.7 billion |
| 2020 | $7.7 billion | $1.4 billion | $6.3 billion |
| 2021 | $10.6 billion | $1.8 billion | $8.8 billion |
| 2022 | $7.6 billion | $1.7 billion | $5.9 billion |
| 2023 | $8.9 billion | $1.7 billion | $7.2 billion |
| 2024 | $12.8 billion | $1.6 billion | $11.1 billion |
What they sell each other
What South Africa sells to the United Kingdom
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
What the United Kingdom 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 Felixstowe is 7,141 nautical miles (13,225 km) long: ≈ 16.5–21.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).
Passages it crosses: Cape of Good Hope and Strait of Dover.
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 Kingdom was South Africa’s 5th largest trading partner (6% of its trade), and South Africa was the United Kingdom’s 21st (1%).
- The United Kingdom in South Africa’s trade
- 5.6%
- The United Kingdom’s rank among South Africa’s partners
- 5th
- South Africa in the United Kingdom’s trade
- 1.3%
- South Africa’s rank among the United Kingdom’s partners
- 21st
Compare with
Other partners of South Africa
Other partners of the United Kingdom
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.