Access to Africa
South Africa’s large and diverse economy plays an important role in the region. Its strong financial, legal and business services and extensive transport infrastructure make it an ideal gateway to other countries and markets in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Top five UK goods exported to South Africa , in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2023
| Goods | Value (£ million ) |
|---|---|
| Cars | |
| Mechanical power generators (intermediate) | |
| Specialised machinery (capital) | |
| Medicinal & pharmaceutical products | |
| Refined oil |
Source:
ONS Trade in goods: country-by-commodity exports
Last updated: February 2024
Download the latest trade and investment factsheet for South Africa.
Top five UK services exported to South Africa , in the four quarters to the end of Q2 2023
| Service | Value (£ million ) |
|---|---|
| Other Business Services | |
| Travel | |
| Financial | |
| Insurance and Pension | |
| Telecommunications, computer and information services |
Source:
ONS UK trade in services: service type by partner country, non-seasonally adjusted
Last updated: January 2024
Download the latest trade and investment factsheet for South Africa.
Total import value (into the UK from South Africa) and export value (from the UK into South Africa) over time
| Year | Imports (£ billion ) | Exports (£ billion ) | Total trade (£ billion ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 8.6 |
| 2017 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 9.2 |
| 2018 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 9.6 |
| 2019 | 6.0 | 4.3 | 10.2 |
| 2020 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 8.4 |
| 2021 | 7.3 | 3.7 | 11.0 |
| 2022 | 6.9 | 4.4 | 11.3 |
Source:
ONS UK total trade: all countries, seasonally adjusted
Last updated: January 2024
Total trade is the sum of all exports and imports over the same time period.
Download the latest trade and investment factsheet for South Africa.
South Africa: at a glance
Economic growth
1.9%
Actual figure (IMF, 2022)
The UK is 4.1% (IMF, 2022, actual figure)
GDP per capita
$6,684
Actual figure (IMF, 2022)
The UK is $45,461 (IMF, 2022, projected figure)
Currency
Rand
Business language
English
Time zone
GMT +2
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