Exporting to South Africa: what it imports and how to enter
South Africa reported 72 billion USD of imports across the 15 chapters it buys most (2025). The top three are mineral fuels, machinery and mechanical…
Published on 27 September 2026Updated on 29 September 2026Exporting from Spain
South Africa reported 72 billion USD of imports across the 15 chapters it buys most (2025). The top three are mineral fuels, machinery and mechanical appliances and electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof. It sits outside the European Union: every shipment clears customs and the duty depends on your heading.
Fact sheet
- Code
- ZA
- European Union
- No
Most imported chapters
USD · 2025| Chapter | Imports (USD) |
|---|---|
| 27 · Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their… | 18,496,700,554 |
| 84 · Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear… | 14,010,172,642 |
| 85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound… | 10,431,809,510 |
| 87 · Vehicles; other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and… | 8,773,746,269 |
| 39 · Plastics and articles thereof | 2,857,429,356 |
| 90 · Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring… | 2,536,366,792 |
| 30 · Pharmaceutical products | 2,504,631,303 |
| 71 · Natural, cultured pearls; precious, semi-precious stones… | 2,026,908,476 |
| 38 · Chemical products n.e.c. | 2,008,645,488 |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals; organic and inorganic compounds of… | 1,700,180,013 |
| 72 · Iron and steel | 1,526,647,119 |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | 1,401,868,002 |
| 40 · Rubber and articles thereof | 1,362,926,704 |
| 10 · Cereals | 1,328,221,337 |
| 33 · Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet… | 1,250,495,710 |
Imports declared by each country from the world. Countries report with a delay: the period is the latest with consolidated data.
Source: UN ComtradeData for 2025Verified on 29 September 2026
What South Africa buys
The chapter South Africa imports most is mineral fuels, at 18 billion USD in 2025, followed by machinery and mechanical appliances (14 billion USD) and electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof (10 billion USD). Demand is concentrated: the first chapter accounts for more than a quarter of what the table adds up to, so volumes fall away quickly outside it.
The table ranks two-digit chapters, which are broad product families. To judge whether this market fits you, you need to go down to your six-digit heading: within one chapter sit products with very different demand, duties and requirements. If you do not know yours, look it up in the HS Code finder.
Three things are worth checking before you quote, and none can be assumed: the duty applied to your heading, whether a preferential agreement between the European Union and South Africa lowers it, and which certificates or controls your product faces on arrival. All three are looked up by heading and country in Access to Markets, the European Commission's official tool.
Frequently asked questions
What does South Africa import?
In 2025, its largest imports by chapter were mineral fuels, machinery and mechanical appliances and electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof. The table on this page lists the top 15 with the reported figure for each, according to UN Comtrade.
What duty will I pay?
It depends on your tariff heading and on the agreement in force, not on the country in the abstract: two products in the same chapter can pay different rates. Look it up heading by heading in Access to Markets, with Spain as origin and South Africa as destination.
Where do I start if I do not have a tariff heading?
By finding it: it is the field the duty, the entry requirements and the trade statistics all hang from. The first six digits are common to every country applying the Harmonized System. You can search for yours in the HS Code finder and confirm it with your customs agent, who is the one answerable for the classification.
Does this data mean there is demand for my product?
It means that chapter enters the country, and in what volume, which is the first filter. It does not say at what price, through which channel or against which competitors, and those three decide whether the deal works. The figure is from 2025: countries report with a lag, so it is for comparing markets against each other, not for forecasting next month.
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