Trade Surplus Climbs to R89.3 Billion — But Imports Are Rising Fast
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SARS issued the Preliminary Trade Statistics for April 2026. South Africa recorded a preliminary trade surplus of R15.2 billion in April 2026, pushing the year-to-date surplus to R89.3 billion, more than double the R39.8 billion recorded during the same period in 2025.
According to SARS’ latest trade statistics, exports reached R190.6 billion in April, while imports totalled R175.4 billion. Export growth was driven largely by stronger performance in gold, platinum group metals (PGMs), and petroleum oils excluding crude oil.
Africa continued to deliver the strongest trade surplus, contributing more than R20 billion to the monthly trade balance. Excluding trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN), South Africa still recorded a trade surplus of R4.9 billion for April 2026.
Imports are accelerating rapidly
April imports rose by 15.3% compared to April 2025 and increased by 11.8% month-on-month from March 2026. SARS noted that the rise was fuelled mainly by higher imports of petroleum oils, electric generating sets, and automatic data processing machines.
Asia remains South Africa’s largest trading region by import value, with imports from the region reaching R73.2 billion in April alone.
Why This is Important for Us
For accountants, finance professionals, and business owners, the numbers highlight two important realities:
Commodity exports are still carrying South Africa’s trade performance
But rising energy, machinery, and technology imports continue placing pressure on the economy.
The data also reinforces the importance of infrastructure reliability, manufacturing competitiveness, and energy stability if South Africa wants to sustain export-led growth.
With global commodity prices remaining volatile and import costs climbing, businesses should pay close attention to currency risk, supply-chain exposure, and input-cost management over the coming months.