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3 November 2025 – South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R21.8 billion in September 2025. This surplus was attributable to exports of R186.4 billion and imports of R164.6 billion, inclusive of trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN).
The year-to-date (01 January to 30 September 2025) preliminary trade balance surplus of R121.5 billion was lower than the R134.0 billion trade balance surplus for the comparable period in 2024.
On a year-on-year basis, export flows for September 2025 (R186.4 billion) were 9.1% higher compared to R170.9 billion recorded in September 2024. Import flows were higher by 4.2%, having increased from R158.0 billion in September 2024 to R164.6 billion in the current period. Source: SARS (https://www.sars.gov.za/media-release/trade-statistics-for-september-2025/