South Africa reminds Nelson Mandela crusader of peace and nobility. South Africa has reserves of oil fields and natural pearls & precious metals. India imported goods worth 6.8 billion US dollars and exported 3.8 billion USD with a trade deficit of 3 billions.
Key Points of India South Africa trade balance in 5 years
- Export to South Africa increased by 7.9% in FY 2017-18
- Import from South Africa increased by 17.2%
- India’s export to South Africa in 5 years is highest in 2014-15 at 5.3 billions USD.
- India’s import from South Africa is highest in 2017-18 at 6.83 billions USD.
- Trade balance is in favor of South Africa in tune of 3 billions USD.
- India’s total export was highest in 2013-14 at 314 billion USD in last 5 years.
- India’s import from South Africa is up and it has been increased by 12.5%
Also Read, India Saudi Arabia trade analysis
Top 25 commodity imported from South Africa by India in 2017-18
| Country: South Africa, Value in Million $ US | ||||
| S.No. | Commodity | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | %Growth |
| 1 | Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils And Products Of Their Distillation; Bituminous Substances; Mineral Waxes. | 2,209.9 | 3,140.0 | 42.1 |
| 2 | Natural Or Cultured Pearls,Precious Or Semiprecious Stones,Pre.Metals,Clad With Pre.Metal;Coin. | 2,271.0 | 1,813.7 | -20.1 |
| 3 | Ores, Slag And Ash. | 392.2 | 705.2 | 79.8 |
| 4 | Pulp Of Wood Or Of Other Fibrous Cellulose Material; Waste And Scrap Of Paper Or Paperboard. | 212.3 | 270.5 | 27.4 |
| 5 | Iron And Steel | 154.2 | 192.2 | 24.6 |
| 6 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery And Mechanical Appliances; Parts Thereof. | 139.9 | 159.3 | 13.9 |
| 7 | Inorganic Chemicals; Organic Or Inorganic Compounds Of Precious Metals, Of Rare-Earth Metals, Or Radi. Elem. Or Of Isotopes. | 71.8 | 85.1 | 18.5 |
| 8 | Aluminum And Articles Thereof. | 68.8 | 68.5 | -0.4 |
| 9 | Organic Chemicals | 46.0 | 68.1 | 48.3 |
| 10 | Nickel And Articles Thereof. | 41.1 | 47.1 | 14.6 |
| 11 | Wood And Articles Of Wood; Wood Charcoal. | 33.9 | 41.0 | 21.0 |
| 12 | Copper And Articles Thereof. | 34.2 | 35.2 | 3.1 |
| 13 | Salt; Sulfur; Earths And Stone; Plastering Materials, Lime And Cement. | 11.9 | 28.3 | 138.2 |
| 14 | Edible Fruit And Nuts; Peel Or Citrus Fruit Or Melons. | 12.2 | 22.1 | 81.9 |
| 15 | Tanning Or Dyeing Extracts; Tannin. Dyes, Pigments And Other Coloring Matter; Paints Putty And Other Mastic; Inks. | 18.7 | 18.6 | -0.5 |
| 16 | Arms And Ammunition; Parts And Accessories Thereof. | 12.4 | 18.3 | 47.1 |
| 17 | Vehicles Other Than Railway Or Tramway Rolling Stock, And Parts And Accessories Thereof. | 18.0 | 12.7 | -29.3 |
| 18 | Glass And Glassware. | 8.2 | 10.5 | 28.1 |
| 19 | Other Base Metals; Cermet; Articles Thereof. | 3.8 | 10.3 | 174.1 |
| 20 | Miscellaneous Chemical Products. | 13.0 | 10.2 | -22.1 |
| 21 | Plastic And Articles Thereof. | 6.9 | 8.8 | 26.7 |
| 22 | Electrical Machinery And Equipment And Parts Thereof; Sound Recorders And Reproducers, Television Image And Sound Recorders And Reproducers,And Parts. | 7.4 | 8.5 | 14.9 |
| 23 | Wool, Fine Or Coarse Animal Hair, Horsehair Yarn And Woven Fabric. | 8.2 | 8.1 | -0.9 |
| 24 | Pharmaceutical Products | 1.6 | 7.8 | 380.7 |
| 25 | Articles Of Iron Or Steel | 3.0 | 6.9 | 127.9 |
Top 25 commodities exported to South Africa by India in 2017-18
| Country: South Africa, Value in Million $ US | ||||
| S.No. | Commodity | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | %Growth |
| 1 | Vehicles Other Than Railway Or Tramway Rolling Stock, And Parts And Accessories Thereof. | 664.5 | 879.4 | 32.4 |
| 2 | Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils And Products Of Their Distillation; Bituminous Substances; Mineral Waxes. | 904.2 | 779.7 | -13.8 |
| 3 | Pharmaceutical Products | 393.8 | 485.8 | 23.4 |
| 4 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery And Mechanical Appliances; Parts Thereof. | 137.6 | 185.2 | 34.6 |
| 5 | Organic Chemicals | 159.7 | 166.3 | 4.1 |
| 6 | Electrical Machinery And Equipment And Parts Thereof; Sound Recorders And Reproducers, Television Image And Sound Recorders And Reproducers,And Parts. | 85.9 | 124.1 | 44.5 |
| 7 | Articles Of Apparel And Clothing Accessories, Knitted Or Crocheted. | 109.6 | 107.2 | -2.2 |
| 8 | Plastic And Articles Thereof. | 73.4 | 85.1 | 15.9 |
| 9 | Articles Of Iron Or Steel | 65.1 | 73.6 | 13.2 |
| 10 | Cereals. | 101.6 | 71.9 | -29.3 |
| 11 | Articles Of Apparel And Clothing Accessories, Not Knitted Or Crocheted. | 67.7 | 62.6 | -7.6 |
| 12 | Natural Or Cultured Pearls,Precious Or Semiprecious Stones,Pre.Metals,Clad With Pre.Metal;Coin. | 60.1 | 56.3 | -6.3 |
| 13 | Miscellaneous Chemical Products. | 51.4 | 55.5 | 7.9 |
| 14 | Iron And Steel | 49.7 | 52.2 | 4.9 |
| 15 | Tanning Or Dyeing Extracts; Tannin, Pigments And Other Coloring Matter; Paints ; Putty And Other Mastic; Inks. | 36.3 | 46.4 | 27.6 |
| 16 | Rubber And Articles Thereof. | 36.3 | 44.4 | 22.2 |
| 17 | Essential Oils And Resinous; Perfumery, Cosmetic Or Toilet Preparations. | 39.4 | 43.1 | 9.4 |
| 18 | Other Made Up Textile Articles; Sets; Worn Clothing And Worn Textile Articles; Rags | 42.4 | 39.8 | -6.2 |
| 19 | Optical, Photographic Cinematographic Measuring, Checking Precision, Medical Or Surgical Inst. And Apparatus Parts And Accessories Thereof; | 33.3 | 33.7 | 1.4 |
| 20 | Paper And Paperboard; Articles Of Paper Pulp, Of Paper Or Of Paperboard. | 22.4 | 32.2 | 44.0 |
| 21 | Tools Implements, Cutlery, Spoons And Forks, Of Base Metal; Parts Thereof Of Base Metal. | 18.4 | 29.2 | 58.9 |
| 22 | Man-Made Staple Fibers. | 25.4 | 27.0 | 6.0 |
| 23 | Inorganic Chemicals; Organic Or Inorganic Compounds Of Precious Metals, Of Rare-Earth Metals Elem. Or Of Isotopes. | 22.1 | 25.0 | 13.3 |
| 24 | Coffee, Tea, Mate And Spices. | 25.2 | 24.8 | -1.6 |
| 25 | Footwear, Gaiters And The Like; Parts Of Such Articles. | 24.4 | 23.8 | -2.3 |
Source Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India