According to data released by the South African Revenue Service (SARS), in December last year the value of South Africa’s exports of base metals and articles thereof totaled ZAR 12.44 billion ($776.96 million), down 8.8 percent from November. In 2025, South Africa’s export value of base metals and articles thereof went down by 20.6 percent year on year to ZAR 168.46 billion ($10.52 billion).
In December, the country’s imports of base metals and articles thereof amounted to ZAR 6.58 billion ($411.22 million), decreasing by 10.9 percent from the previous month, while in 2025 South African imports of base metals and articles thereof moved down by 4.6 percent year on year to ZAR 94.97 billion ($5.93 billion) compared to 2024.