by FlagPictures.org
South African imports represent 0.5% of total global imports which totaled an estimated $16.054 trillion one year prior during 2016.
From a continental perspective, 44.7% of South Africa’s total imports by value in 2017 were purchased from Asian countries. European trade partners supplied 32.5% of import sales to South Africa while 10.3% worth originated from fellow African nations. North American exporters accounted for 7.6% of South Africa’s imports with just 3% coming from Latin America (excluding Mexico) plus the Caribbean.
Given South Africa’s population of 54.8 million people, its total $83.2 billion in 2017 imports translates to roughly $1,500 in yearly product demand from every person in the country.
South Africa’s Top 10 Imports
Top 10
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in South Africa’s import purchases during 2017. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into South Africa.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$12.3 billion (14.7% of total imports)
- Machinery including computers: $11 billion (13.2%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $8.5 billion (10.2%)
- Vehicles: $7.1 billion (8.5%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $2.5 billion (3%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $2.2 billion (2.7%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $2.1 billion (2.6%)
- Other chemical goods: $1.6 billion (1.9%)
- Organic chemicals: $1.3 billion (1.6%)
- Inorganic chemicals: $1.2 billion (1.5%)
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more detailed view of imported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, see the section Searchable List of South Africa’s Most Valuable Import Products further down near the bottom of this article or under the adjacent product folder tabs.
South Africa’s top 10 imports accounted almost three-fifths (59.8%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
Fastest-growing among the top 10 categories was inorganic chemicals which gained 27.2% from 2016 to 2017.
In second place was South African exported vehicles which appreciated 22.1% year over year trailed by mineral fuels including oil which rose 22% then pharmaceuticals via its 18.5% increase.
Fuel
In 2017, South African importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products:
- Crude oil: US$6.4 billion (down -1.8% from 2016)
- Processed petroleum oils: $4.4 billion (up 73.9%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $478.3 million (up 134%)
- Petroleum gases: $328.1 million (up 22.4%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $252.1 million (up 52.8%)
- Electrical energy: $162.3 million (down -10.1%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $97.6 million (up 47%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $41.1 million (down -15.3%)
- Tar pitch, coke: $16 million (up 65.5%)
- Peat: $6.3 million (up 7.9%)
Among these import subcategories, South African purchases of coal including solid fuels made from coal (up 134%), processed petroleum oils (up 73.9%) and tar pitch or coke (up 65.5%) grew at the fastest pace from 2016 to 2017.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of mineral fuels-related imports among South African businesses and consumers.
Machinery
In 2017, South African importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers:
- Computers, optical readers: US$1.6 billion (up 7.8% from 2016)
- Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): $712.9 million (up 67.7%)
- Printing machinery: $673.4 million (up 7.2%)
- Machinery parts: $565.1 million (up 15.3%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $471.9 million (up 10.3%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $405.5 million (up 0.9%)
- Transmission shafts, gears, clutches: $380.2 million (up 18.2%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $377.7 million (up 7%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $345.9 million (up 2.1%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $313.5 million (up 1.6%)
Among these import subcategories, South African purchases of heavy machinery like bulldozers, excavators and road rollers (up 67.7%), transmission shafts, gears and clutches (up 18.2%) and machinery parts (up 15.3%) grew at the fastest pace from 2016 to 2017.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among South African businesses and consumers.
Electronics
In 2017, South African importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electronics:
- Phone system devices including smartphones: US$3.1 billion (up 5.1% from 2016)
- Electrical converters/power units: $462.7 million (up 24.7%)
- Electric generating sets, converters: $437.3 million (down -9.8%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $399 million (up 9.4%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $365.6 million (up 2.7%)
- TV/radio/radar device parts: $302.6 million (up 6.2%)
- Unrecorded sound media: $279.8 million (up 9.6%)
- Electric motors, generators: $257.4 million (up 0.5%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $256.3 million (up 3.6%)
- Electric storage batteries: $216 million (up 39.2%)
Among these import subcategories, South African purchases of electric storage batteries (up 39.2%), electrical converters or power units (up 24.7%) and unrecorded sound media (up 9.6%) grew at the fastest pace from 2016 to 2017.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported electronics among South African businesses and consumers.
Vehicles
In 2017, South African importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles:
- Cars: US$4 billion (up 21% from 2016)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $1.4 billion (up 6.7%)
- Trucks: $788 million (up 63.3%)
- Tractors: $333.3 million (up 53%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $108 million (up 12%)
- Motorcycles: $100.7 million (up 9%)
- Trailers: $98.9 million (up 33.5%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $60.1 million (up 3.1%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $56.1 million (up 5.4%)
- Armored vehicles, tanks: $43 million (up 47.3%)
Among these import subcategories, South African purchases of trucks (up 63.3%), tractors (up 53%) and armored vehicles and tanks (up 47.3%) grew at the fastest pace from 2016 to 2017.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles among South African businesses and consumers.
Searchable List of South Africa’s Most Valuable Import Products
At the more granular four-digit HTS code level, the top South African import products are crude oil followed by refined petroleum oils, cars, smartphones then medication mixes in dosage.
The following searchable table displays 200 of South Africa’s most in-demand imported goods during 2017. Shown beside each product label is its total import value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2016.
| Rank | South African Import Product | 2017 Value (US$) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crude oil | $6.4 billion | -1.8% |
| 2 | Processed petroleum oils | $4.4 billion | +73.9% |
| 3 | Cars | $4 billion | +18.9% |
| 4 | Phone system devices including smartphones | $3.1 billion | +5.4% |
| 5 | Medication mixes in dosage | $1.7 billion | +20.5% |
| 6 | Computers, optical readers | $1.6 billion | +7.8% |
| 7 | Automobile parts/accessories | $1.4 billion | +6.5% |
| 8 | Trucks | $786.1 million | +63% |
| 9 | Aircraft, spacecraft | $713.2 million | -18.3% |
| 10 | Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers) | $711.5 million | +67.4% |
| 11 | Printing machinery | $673 million | +7.2% |
| 12 | Rubber tires (new) | $617.1 million | +9.9% |
| 13 | Scents used for beverage or industrial manufacturing | $571.3 million | +25.3% |
| 14 | Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays) | $565.9 million | +5.5% |
| 15 | Machinery parts | $564.7 million | +15.2% |
| 16 | Diamonds (unmounted/unset) | $515.1 million | -0.2% |
| 17 | Rice | $513.3 million | +22.4% |
| 18 | Aluminum oxide/hydroxide | $511.2 million | +42.9% |
| 19 | Poultry meat | $480.7 million | +29.3% |
| 20 | Coal, solid fuels made from coal | $479.3 million | +134.5% |
| 21 | Sugar (cane or beet) | $474.5 million | +55% |
| 22 | Centrifuges, filters and purifiers | $472.4 million | +10.4% |
| 23 | Electrical converters/power units | $462.7 million | +24.7% |
| 24 | Packaged insecticides/fungicides/herbicides | $440.7 million | +34.7% |
| 25 | Electric generating sets, converters | $435 million | -10.3% |
| 26 | Taps, valves, similar appliances | $406.1 million | +1% |
| 27 | Insulated wire/cable | $398.1 million | +9.2% |
| 28 | Blood fractions (including antisera) | $384.6 million | +15.7% |
| 29 | Transmission shafts, gears, clutches | $379.8 million | +18.1% |
| 30 | Liquid pumps and elevators | $377.6 million | +7% |
| 31 | Ethylene polymers | $375 million | +11.6% |
| 32 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $364.8 million | +2.4% |
| 33 | Miscellaneous machinery | $346.4 million | +2.2% |
| 34 | Tractors | $333.1 million | +52.9% |
| 35 | Copper wire | $331.4 million | +94.2% |
| 36 | Palm oil | $327.9 million | +14.5% |
| 37 | Wheat | $327.8 million | +7.3% |
| 38 | Petroleum gases | $327.3 million | +22.1% |
| 39 | Footwear (textile) | $319.9 million | -7.8% |
| 40 | Seats (excluding barber/dentist chairs) | $317.9 million | +9.8% |
| 41 | Chemical industry products/residuals | $316.9 million | +6.9% |
| 42 | Air or vacuum pumps | $313.4 million | +1.5% |
| 43 | Footwear (rubber or plastic) | $307.5 million | +7.6% |
| 44 | TV/radio/radar device parts | $302 million | +6% |
| 45 | Gold (unwrought) | $301 million | +33,453% |
| 46 | Unused stamps (current or new issue) | $291.3 million | +2,152% |
| 47 | Nitrogenous fertilizers | $289.8 million | +28.8% |
| 48 | Men's suits, trousers (not knit or crochet) | $288.4 million | +2% |
| 49 | Unrecorded sound media | $279.4 million | +9.4% |
| 50 | Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs) | $277.6 million | +10% |
| 51 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $262.9 million | +14.3% |
| 52 | Electric motors, generators | $257.4 million | +0.5% |
| 53 | Polyacetal/ether/carbonates | $257.2 million | +14.3% |
| 54 | Women's clothing (not knit or crochet) | $256.8 million | +9.7% |
| 55 | Electric water heaters, hair dryers | $256.3 million | +3.6% |
| 56 | Aircraft parts | $255.7 million | -5.8% |
| 57 | Coke, semi-coke | $252 million | +52.8% |
| 58 | Flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products (plated/coated) | $248.2 million | +29% |
| 59 | Dishwashing, clean/dry/fill machines | $235.6 million | -5.1% |
| 60 | Orthopedic appliances | $234.3 million | +5.1% |
| 61 | Cellulose fiber paper | $233.4 million | +8.9% |
| 62 | Other diagnostic/lab reagents | $233.4 million | +11.5% |
| 63 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $217.8 million | +10.5% |
| 64 | Interchangeable hand/machine tools | $217.1 million | +69.5% |
| 65 | Electric storage batteries | $215.8 million | +39.1% |
| 66 | Refrigerators, freezers | $215.7 million | +4.6% |
| 67 | Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels | $213 million | +32.6% |
| 68 | T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet) | $206.4 million | +2.2% |
| 69 | Rubber/plastic article making machines | $204.3 million | +6.1% |
| 70 | Piston engine parts | $203.6 million | +2.6% |
| 71 | Engines (diesel) | $202.6 million | +7.7% |
| 72 | Sort/screen/washing machinery | $202.4 million | +16.8% |
| 73 | Coated paper | $201.7 million | -3.9% |
| 74 | Zinc (unwrought) | $198.8 million | +32.8% |
| 75 | Cases, handbags, wallets | $198.6 million | +6.2% |
| 76 | Footwear (leather) | $196.7 million | -1.4% |
| 77 | Computer parts, accessories | $196.2 million | -7.6% |
| 78 | Flat-rolled other alloy steel products | $195.2 million | -3.6% |
| 79 | Physical/chemical analysis tools | $194.7 million | +10.5% |
| 80 | Fork-lift trucks | $194.2 million | +30.4% |
| 81 | Ball, roller bearings | $191.4 million | +8.3% |
| 82 | Beauty/makeup/skin care preparations | $190.9 million | +6.4% |
| 83 | Other measuring/testing machines | $186.2 million | +20.4% |
| 84 | Spray/dispersing mechanical appliances | $185.9 million | +16.3% |
| 85 | Iron and steel screws, bolts, nuts, washers | $185.9 million | +4.8% |
| 86 | Lifting/loading machinery | $185 million | +29.5% |
| 87 | Soya-bean oil-cake, other solid residues | $184.2 million | -8.7% |
| 88 | Harvest/threshing machinery | $183.1 million | +48.1% |
| 89 | Other food preparations | $181.6 million | +5.8% |
| 90 | Air conditioners | $178.5 million | -26.1% |
| 91 | TV receivers/monitors/projectors | $177.1 million | +13.3% |
| 92 | Ceramic wares for technical uses | $176.6 million | +2.8% |
| 93 | Anti-knock/oxidation/gum inhibitors | $174.8 million | +5.9% |
| 94 | Aluminum plates, sheets, strips | $172.2 million | +17.5% |
| 95 | Temperature-change machines | $171.9 million | -34.1% |
| 96 | Miscellaneous iron or steel items | $171.7 million | -0.01% |
| 97 | Models, puzzles, miscellaneous toys | $171.3 million | +5.7% |
| 98 | Miscellaneous furniture | $170.5 million | -0.4% |
| 99 | Turbo-jets | $164.5 million | +12.6% |
| 100 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $162.1 million | +9.8% |
| 101 | Electrical energy | $161.8 million | -10.4% |
| 102 | Carbonates, percarbonates | $160.4 million | +39.4% |
| 103 | Self-adhesive plastic in rolls | $156.6 million | +13.4% |
| 104 | TV receiver/transmit/digital cameras | $156.2 million | -2.5% |
| 105 | Integrated circuits/microassemblies | $154.8 million | -3.5% |
| 106 | Iron ferroalloys | $153.4 million | +9.1% |
| 107 | Soya-bean oil | $153.1 million | -1.5% |
| 108 | #N/A | $151 million | +238.4% |
| 109 | Solar power diodes/semi-conductors | $149.7 million | -35.8% |
| 110 | Heterocyclics, nucleic acids | $148.9 million | +2.9% |
| 111 | Sun/safflower/cotton-seed oil | $147.2 million | +34.4% |
| 112 | Whole fish (frozen) | $144.8 million | +21.1% |
| 113 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $143.5 million | +14.1% |
| 114 | Miscellaneous animal feed preparations | $143.1 million | +19.3% |
| 115 | Vulcanized rubber items | $142.8 million | +13.7% |
| 116 | Electrical machinery | $141.9 million | +8.6% |
| 117 | Lamps, lighting, illuminated signs | $141.8 million | -11.2% |
| 118 | Table games, bowling equipment | $140.1 million | +13% |
| 119 | Industrial preparation machinery | $139.6 million | +23.4% |
| 120 | Pneumatic hand tool | $138.8 million | +16.6% |
| 121 | Microphones/headphones/amps | $138 million | +25.1% |
| 122 | Corn | $134.4 million | -78.7% |
| 123 | Move/grade/scrape/boring machinery | $129.9 million | +20% |
| 124 | Unmanufactured tobacco, tobacco waste | $128.6 million | -6% |
| 125 | Sanitary towels, baby napkins/liners | $128.3 million | +25.2% |
| 126 | Unglazed ceramic flags, tiles, cubes | $127.7 million | +468.2% |
| 127 | Synthetic yarn woven fabrics | $126.7 million | +9.8% |
| 128 | Nuclear reactors, fuel elements | $124.1 million | +5.9% |
| 129 | Other organic cleaning preparations | $123.7 million | -2.3% |
| 130 | Fish, caviar (preserved/prepared) | $123.4 million | +26.3% |
| 131 | Sports equipment | $120.6 million | +7.4% |
| 132 | Initiators/accelerators, catalytic preps | $119.9 million | +12% |
| 133 | Base metal mountings, fittings | $119.7 million | +5.1% |
| 134 | Liquid/gas checking instruments | $118.1 million | +6.5% |
| 135 | Aluminum bars/rods | $117.1 million | +23% |
| 136 | Animal guts, bladders, stomachs | $116.8 million | +64.2% |
| 137 | Moulding boxes/base | $116.6 million | +64.9% |
| 138 | Print/write/draw inks | $116.4 million | +23.8% |
| 139 | Styrene polymers | $115.8 million | +7.1% |
| 140 | Plastic tubes, pipes, fittings | $115.2 million | +1% |
| 141 | Self-propelled railway/streetcar coaches/trucks | $114.7 million | -0.2% |
| 142 | Electrical lighting/signaling equpment, defrosters | $114.4 million | +8.9% |
| 143 | Acyclic alcohols | $113.6 million | +23.5% |
| 144 | Uncoated paper for writing/printing | $113 million | -6.1% |
| 145 | Electric ignition/start equipment | $113 million | +13.2% |
| 146 | Printed books, brochures | $112.7 million | -4.6% |
| 147 | Miscellaneous railway/streetcar parts | $112.5 million | +6.9% |
| 148 | Miscellaneous engines, motors | $112.3 million | +19% |
| 149 | Regulate/control instruments | $112.3 million | -4.1% |
| 150 | Steam/vapor turbines | $111.7 million | -62% |
| 151 | Electric circuit parts, fuses, switches | $108.7 million | +10.9% |
| 152 | Sawn wood | $107.6 million | +3.3% |
| 153 | Public-transport vehicles | $107.2 million | +11.2% |
| 154 | Iron or steel pipe fittings | $106.9 million | +15.8% |
| 155 | Acrylic polymers | $106.1 million | +13.6% |
| 156 | Fertilizer mixes | $106 million | +19.1% |
| 157 | Chocolate, other cocoa preparations | $103 million | +28.5% |
| 158 | Jerseys, pullovers (knit or crochet) | $102.8 million | -6% |
| 159 | X-ray equipment | $102.8 million | -3.8% |
| 160 | Motorcycles | $99.8 million | +8.1% |
| 161 | Trailers | $98.3 million | +32.7% |
| 162 | Petroleum oil residues | $97.8 million | +47.3% |
| 163 | Aluminum (unwrought) | $97.6 million | +33.9% |
| 164 | Miscellaneous heterocyclics | $96.3 million | +20% |
| 165 | Malt beer | $95.2 million | +50% |
| 166 | Piston engines | $93.9 million | -11.4% |
| 167 | Potassic fertilizers | $93.1 million | -2.5% |
| 168 | Sodium/potash hydroxide, peroxide | $93 million | +51.7% |
| 169 | Cigars/cigarellos, cigarettes | $92.5 million | +17.2% |
| 170 | Propylene/olefin polymers | $92.2 million | +16.9% |
| 171 | Coffee | $91.9 million | +10.4% |
| 172 | Coated/laminated non-wovens | $91.7 million | +3.7% |
| 173 | Metal soldering/hot-spray equipment | $89.2 million | +9.7% |
| 174 | Women's clothing (knit or crochet) | $88.4 million | +6.8% |
| 175 | Uncoated kraft paper | $88.1 million | +3.2% |
| 176 | Refined copper, unwrought alloys | $87.7 million | -34.8% |
| 177 | Electric sound/visual signal bells or alarms | $85.1 million | -1.8% |
| 178 | Other coloring matter, luminophores | $85 million | +28.6% |
| 179 | Filament/discharge lamps | $83.8 million | +24.7% |
| 180 | Perfumes, toilet waters | $83.3 million | +8.4% |
| 181 | Cyclic hydrocarbons | $82.7 million | +17.2% |
| 182 | Washing machines | $82.1 million | +21.9% |
| 183 | Coffee/tea extracts, concentrates | $81.7 million | +18.5% |
| 184 | Amino-resins | $81.2 million | +18.7% |
| 185 | Hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products | $81 million | +10.9% |
| 186 | Men's shirts (not knit or crochet) | $80.1 million | -6.3% |
| 187 | Non-alcoholic drinks (not water/juice/milk) | $79.5 million | -0.2% |
| 188 | Polycarboxylic acids | $78.7 million | -3.5% |
| 189 | Fruit and vegetable juices | $78.5 million | -8.6% |
| 190 | Radar, radio communication items | $78.4 million | -17.3% |
| 191 | Synthetic filament yarn | $77.1 million | +4.1% |
| 192 | Mixed alkylbenzenes, alkylnaphthalenes | $76.7 million | -2.5% |
| 193 | Saturated acyclic mono acids | $75.9 million | +8.4% |
| 194 | High-voltage switches, fuses | $75.7 million | +3.1% |
| 195 | Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries | $74.9 million | +35.7% |
| 196 | Enzymes | $74.4 million | +34.8% |
| 197 | Other machine parts, accessories | $74.3 million | +17.9% |
| 198 | Aluminum wire | $74 million | +1.1% |
| 199 | Vulcanized rubber tubes, pipes | $73.8 million | +19.5% |
| 200 | Vulcanized rubber belts | $73.2 million | +21.3% |
These 200 imported goods were worth a subtotal of US$61.5 billion or almost three-quarters (74%) by value for all products imported into South Africa during 2017.
See also South Africa’s Top 10 Exports, Top South African Trading Partners and Top African Export Countries
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on August 8, 2018
The World Factbook, Country Profiles, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on August 8, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on August 8, 2018
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