South Africa posts R14. 1bn trade surplus in April, down from March
South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R14.1 billion in April, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) reported on Friday, a decline from the revised R22.6bn surplus in March.
The April surplus was driven by exports of R166.2bn and imports of R152.1bn, including trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Namibia (BELN). However, the surplus was lower than the R24.8bn recorded in March, reflecting a month-on-month export decline of R4.3bn (-2.5%) and an import increase of R4.3bn (2.9%).
Compared to April 2024, exports fell 4.0% from R173.2bn, while imports dropped 4.2% from R158.8bn. The year-to-date trade surplus (January to April 2025) stood at R39.7bn slightly below the R40.6bn surplus for the same period in 2024.
Sars attributed the export decline to reduced shipments of grapes, gold, and iron ores and concentrates, while increased imports were driven by original equipment components, aeroplanes, and diamonds.
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