China dominates trade with SA

China, Thailand and Japan were among the top ten exporters to South Africa in 2025, according to import data on TradeInt. China ranked first with imports valued at around $23.8 billion or 22.46% of total imports, followed by Thailand in sixth place at $3.5bn (3.27%) and Japan at $2.4bn (2.31%). The three account for roughly $37.3bn. The biggest share (9.4% of the SA total) of Chinese exports fell under HS Code 8517, which covers telephone sets, smartphones, cellular network equipment, routers, base stations and other data transmission apparatus. This was followed by 5.6% under HS Code 8471 covering automatic data-processing machines, computers and their units, including magnetic or optical readers and input/ output devices. The surge in Chinese vehicle imports is shown in HS Code 8703 at 4.7%, which covers motor cars and other vehicles built mainly to carry people, including station wagons and racing cars. Rice (HS Code 1006) accounted for 12.8% of Thailand’s exports to SA, followed by parts and accessories for motor vehicles of headings 8701 to 8705, such as tractors, cars and transport vehicles under Code 8708 (4.8%). Japan supplied 14.9% of SA’s motor vehicles under Code 8703, followed by 5.7% of SA’s imports of self-propelled construction machinery such as bulldozers, excavators, road rollers and mechanical shovels under Code 8429. “The import structure reveals a strong Asian bloc dominance, with China, India, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and the UAE collectively representing nearly half (49.5%) of South Africa’s import share,” writes TradeInt. “This heavy reliance on Asian partners, particularly for energy and manufactured goods, aligns with broader trade shifts, as Asia has overtaken Europe as the leading import source for South Africa amid global economic reconfiguration. “The trend is supported by data showing Asia’s growing role offsetting declines from traditional partners in Europe and the Americas,” it adds. China has replaced the traditional colonial countries as the top destination for raw materials, with exports valued at $12.9bn in 2025. This represents 11% of the value of SA exports and was dominated by chrome platinum, iron ore, manganese, coal and some agricultural products (HS Codes 2601, 2610 and 2602), according to DNA Economics. Japan was the fourth-largest export market, at $5.5bn or 4.7% of the total. Some 62% of the value was under HS Code 2610, which is petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, excluding crude, along with related preparations – making the country by far the biggest importer of these products. Next, at 7% of the total, was HS Code 2601 (iron ore), followed by HS Code 7601 at 6.5% (aluminium). There were no other Far Eastern countries in the top ten destinations. ER