Exporting to South Africa
Access to Africa
South Africa’s large and diverse economy plays an important role in the region. Its strong financial, legal and business services and extensive transport infrastructure make it an ideal gateway to other countries and markets in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Demand for goods
In the year to June 2019, the top goods exported from the UK to South Africa were cars, beverages, mechanical power generators, medicinal and pharmaceutical products and consumer manufactures (ONS, 2019). Therefore, if you are a UK business looking to export these goods, then South Africa may be a good market for you.
Demand for services
The top services imported by South Africa from the UK were transportation, travel, intellectual property, business services and financial services (ONS, 2019). Therefore, if you operate in any of these industries, South Africa could be a good market for you.

Ease of doing business
84th
out of 190 countries (World Bank, 2019)
Currency
Rand
Business language
English
GDP per capita
$6,354
UK is $42,558 (IMF, 2018)
Economic growth
0.2%
(IMF, 2019)
Time zone
GMT +2
Next steps
DIT can advise you on doing business abroad, and help put you in touch with other people who can help such as lawyers and distributors.