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Frederick Mitchell, Chief Economist | Aluma Capital (Pty) Ltd
Frederick Mitchell
February 5, 2025

International Trade and Trade Balance

South Africa recorded a trade balance surplus of R15.46 billion in December 2024, where exports exceeded imports. While annual figures showed declines for both, there is optimism for 2025 as lower interest rates and easing infrastructure bottlenecks could enhance trade activity and support economic growth.
International Trade and Trade Balance graph, Aluma Capital (Pty) Ltd
International Trade and Trade Balance table, Aluma Capital (Pty) Ltd

International trade measures South Africa’s demand for foreign goods and services against the demand for domestically manufactured products in global markets. The country mainly exports raw materials, such as base metals, gold, precious metals, and minerals, while importing value-added goods like vehicles, chemicals, and machinery.

In December 2024, South Africa achieved a trade balance surplus of R15.46 billion, indicating that exports exceeded imports. However, on an annual basis, both exports and imports declined, with exports contracting by 1.4% and imports dropping by 6.5%. The decrease in imports from November suggests subdued demand after Black Friday purchases, while exports also saw a notable reduction during this period.

Compared to the same months in 2023, the value of exports and imports for November and December 2024 was lower, despite lower interest rates and a similar Rand/Dollar exchange rate. Moving forward, there is hope that the South African economy will build on the confidence gained in 2024, particularly with lower interest rates and a reduction in infrastructure bottlenecks affecting international trade at port and rail facilities.

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More Coverage

International Trade and Trade Balance – August 2026

South Africa recorded a trade surplus of R20.4 billion in August 2026, as exports continued to outpace imports. Export growth has exceeded import growth over the first eight months of the year, reflecting subdued domestic demand among businesses and consumers. But with higher fuel prices and tighter monetary policy expected to weigh on spending, demand is likely to recover only gradually. Read the full report for a closer look at the trade figures and what they could mean for South Africa’s economy in the months ahead.

Private Sector Credit Extension (PSCE): August 2026

South Africa’s credit market is showing surprising resilience, with credit demand rising by 7.5% in August 2026 despite renewed interest-rate pressure, elevated inflation and mounting household costs. While mortgage advances continued to grow, the fragile recovery in the property market highlights the strain caused by subdued investment, high debt levels and rising municipal and energy expenses. At the same time, sluggish instalment credit growth and continued reliance on short-term borrowing reveal how consumers are navigating increasingly difficult financial conditions. With higher oil prices, geopolitical risks and further SARB tightening adding to the pressure, this report examines what the latest credit trends reveal about household finances, business confidence and the broader South African economy.

Producer Price Inflation – Aug 2026

South Africa’s producer price inflation eased to 5.0% year-on-year in August 2026, but persistent fuel and energy shocks continue to place pressure on the economy and keep inflation well above the South African Reserve Bank’s new 2%–4% target range. Although the pace of price increases has slowed, rising costs in petroleum, chemicals, metals, machinery, and intermediate goods, alongside elevated mining costs, suggest that inflationary pressures are still filtering through to businesses and consumers. With consumer inflation at 4.4% and the Reserve Bank having raised interest rates by 25 basis points, this report examines what the latest PPI trends mean for South Africa’s inflation outlook, interest-rate decisions, and the cost pressures likely to shape the economy in the months ahead.

MACROECONOMIC & POLICY BRIEFING

When the South African Reserve Bank unexpectedly tightened monetary policy by 25 basis points to 7.25%, pushing the prime lending rate to 10.75%, it aimed to anchor inflation against imported oil shocks, but at what cost to an already bleeding real economy? With South Africa’s GDP contracting by 0.2%, unemployment climbing to 33.6%, and mining and manufacturing output in reverse, our economic challenge is not an overheated consumer base, but a severe supply-side squeeze. Raising the cost of capital cannot lower global crude prices; instead, it delivers a direct hit to strained household balance sheets and further stifles already anaemic Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF). Dive into the full analysis to unpack why orthodox monetary tools miss the mark in an economy rationing out of necessity, what Governor Lesetja Kganyago’s latest guidance reveals about the interest rate path ahead, and how corporate leaders and investors must position their capital to navigate South Africa’s “higher-for-longer” reality.

Consumer Inflation – August 2026

South Africa’s August 2026 inflation data present a complex outlook: headline CPI rose to 4.4%, remaining below market expectations yet above the upper limit of the inflation target range, while services inflation continued to climb, and fuel and transport costs exerted further pressure on households and businesses. With the economy contracting, international oil prices rising and global uncertainties, including Middle East tensions and tariff disputes, continuing to weigh on the rand and domestic prices, attention is now focused on the South African Reserve Bank’s next interest-rate decision. Read the full report for an analysis of the factors driving inflation, the risks facing the economy and what the latest developments could mean for consumers, businesses and monetary policy in the months ahead.