Here are South Africa’s top 10 exports globally

South Africa’s top 10 exports globally, according to the International Trade Centre Trade Map, earn the nation billions in revenue each year.

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We take a deep dive to prove that, despite our myriad challenges, South Africa is still a country punching far beyond its weight economically …

SOUTH AFRICA’S TOP 10 EXPORTS

South Africa’s top exports pulled in $116.8 billion in 2025. That’s a 5.9% jump from 2024’s $110.4 billion. Despite all our challenges, South Africa’s top 10 exports keep finding buyers abroad.

The trade surplus for 2025 came in at $11.9 billion, up 29.8% on the previous year. At current exchange rates, that works out to roughly R1.9 trillion. So, let’s countdown the products that put South Africa on the global economic map …

1. PLATINUM – $11.86 BILLION (+19%)

South Africa’s top exports start with an obvious one – mining. Platinum exports rose 19% year-on-year. South Africa produces more of the metal than any other country on Earth. Catalytic converters and jewellery owe South Africa a lucrative thank you.

2. GOLD – $9.18 BILLION (+12.3%)

The old reliable. Gold exports climbed 12.3%. Johannesburg was literally built on this stuff, and the seams are still paying rent.

3. AUTOMOTIVE – $7.72 BILLION (+36.1%)

Another luxurious, exclusive Ford Ranger Platinum rolls of the line in Silverton, Pretoria. Image: File

Number three of South Africa’s top 10 exports is a genuine standout story here. Car exports from South Africa surged 36.1% in a single year. A plant in Silverton, Pretoria, produces the world-class Ford Ranger for a global audience. While plants in Gqeberha, Rosslyn, East London and Durban do the same for other products.

4. TRUCKS – $6.25 BILLION (+13.5%)

Truck exports also grew over the same period by 13.5%. Combined with motor vehicles ($14-billion plus), our automotive industry is one of South Africa’s genuine manufacturing success stories. Proving that we’re not just a mining megalith.  

5. IRON ORE – $6.14 BILLION (-3.2%)

Okay, now it’s back to stuff you can drag out the ground. The lone dip in the top of of South Africa’s top 10 exports slipped by 3.2%. However, Iron ore is still a top-five earner, shipped by the boatload from Saldanha and Richards Bay.

6. COAL – $5.54 BILLION (-12%)

Coal exports fell 12%, likely due to global demand softening and Transnet’s rail bottlenecks. Nevertheless, it’s still a multi-billion-dollar line item on South Africa’s top 10 exports sheet.

7. CHROMIUM – $5.23 BILLION (+12%)

Chromium exports rose 12%. South Africa sits on the largest chrome reserves on the planet, and stainless-steel mills worldwide depend on it.

8. MANGANESE – $3.29 BILLION (+6.4%)

Manganese exports grew 6.4%. Unglamorous, unavoidable, and essential to steelmaking everywhere. South Africa owes a lot to metals nobody outside the industry can name.

9. CITRUS FRUIT – $2.53 BILLION (+39.8%)

Now an agricultural star. Citrus exports jumped 39.8% in the last year, the fastest growth of any product in South Africa’s top 10 exports. Navel oranges and grapefruit from the Eastern Cape and Limpopo are landing on breakfast tables from Rotterdam to Shanghai.

10. PROCESSED PETROLEUM OILS – $2.40 BILLION (-19.2%)

Refined petroleum exports dropped 19.2%. Refinery output remains volatile in the current economic climate, but it’s still a two-billion-dollar business.

WHERE THE PRIDE ACTUALLY SITS

Thank the hard-working members of these industries for putting South Africa on the map. Image: File

As you can see, six of South Africa’s top 10 exports come straight out the ground. Therefore, mining still anchors the economy, with platinum alone accounting for over one tenth of everything the country sells abroad. However, the real good-news story sits at three and four. South Africa exported a record 414 268 vehicles in 2025.

Once again, proof that our automotive sector is absolutely world class. South Africa’s top 10 exports also travel further than most people assume. China takes 11% of the total, Germany 7.9%, the US 7.1%, concludes the International Trade Centre Trade Map.

But what do you think? Are there any exports you’re surprised to see not mentioned here? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below …

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