According to data released by the South African Revenue Service (SARS), in May this year the value of South Africa’s exports of base metals and articles thereof totaled ZAR 14.17 billion ($832.75 million), up 11.3 percent from April. In the January-May period, South Africa’s export value of base metals and articles thereof went down by 11.4 percent year on year to ZAR 67.87 billion ($3.99 billion).
In May, the country’s imports of base metals and articles thereof amounted to ZAR 7.80 billion ($458.13 million), decreasing by 0.5 percent from the previous month, while in the first five months of 2026 South African imports of base metals and articles thereof moved down by 1.3 percent year on year to ZAR 39.17 billion ($2.30 billion) compared to the same period of 2025.