Import Tracker - Q3 2023

South Africa maintained a trade surplus in the third quarter of 2023, at R41 billion, up from R10 billion in the second quarter of 2023, but lower than the R53 billion from the third quarter of 2022. Exports declined by R41 billion to R529 billion in the year to the third quarter of 2023, while imports declined by R29 billion to R487 billion in the same period. The export decline was in part driven by a R42 billion decline in coal exports, with volumes declining by six billion kilograms in the year to the third quarter of 2023. The decline in imports was driven by decreasing local demand for diesel and petrol, which saw the value of both decline by R10 billion and R11 billion respectively, while volumes declined by almost one billion litres apiece.