South Africa's trade surplus widened to ZAR 11.83 billion in January 2021, from a revised ZAR 33.1 billion in the previous month and compared with market expectations of ZAR 15.2 billion. It was the smallest monthly trade surplus since April, as exports fell 13.6 percent due to lower sales of mineral products (-13 percent), base metals (-21 percent), machinery & electronics (-26 percent), and vehicles & transport equipment (-38 percent). Meanwhile, exports of animal & vegetable fats jumped 578 percent. Imports were up 4.2 percent, due to purchases of vegetable products (28 percent), base metals (16 percent), vehicles & transport equipment (16 percent), and original equipment components (56 percent). Imports of machinery & electronics, however, were down 4 percent. source: South African Revenue Service
Balance of Trade in South Africa averaged 502.60 ZAR Million from 1957 until 2021, reaching an all time high of 46104.68 ZAR Million in June of 2020 and a record low of -36048.52 ZAR Million in April of 2020. This page provides the latest reported value for - South Africa Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. South Africa Balance of Trade - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on March of 2021.
Balance of Trade in South Africa is expected to be -1258.00 ZAR Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Balance of Trade in South Africa to stand at -1542.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the South Africa Balance of Trade is projected to trend around -1542.00 ZAR Million in 2022 and 12500.00 ZAR Million in 2023, according to our econometric models.