According to data released by the South African Revenue Service (SARS), in August this year the value of South Africa's exports of base metals and articles thereof totaled ZAR 11.96 billion ($889.45 million), up 12.1 percent from July. In the first eight months of this year, South Africa's export value of base metals and articles thereof increased by 2.8 percent year on year to ZAR 92.23 billion ($6.85 billion).
In August of the current year, the country's imports of base metals and articles thereof amounted to ZAR 5.14 billion ($382.37 million), increasing 20.4 percent from the previous month, while in the January-August period of this year South African imports of base metals and articles thereof fell by 1.9 percent year on year, amounting to ZAR 39.5 billion ($2.93 billion).