Building capacity to help Africa trade better

South Africa’s transport routes: trade by air, maritime shipping, rail and road for January to June 2020

Infographics

South Africa’s transport routes: trade by air, maritime shipping, rail and road for January to June 2020

This collection of infographics focuses on South Africa’s trade by mode of transport from January to June 2020 – air, maritime, road and rail. Selected highlights:

  • Exports to the US, UK, Europe and Asia are all mainly base metals – platinum, rhodium, palladium and iridium. Exports to the UAE, Switzerland and Botswana are mainly diamonds; to Kenya – Medicines, dental instruments and fruits; and to Nigeria – Mechanical seals, laboratory reagents and coins.

  • 95.24% of aviation imports into OR Tambo came from China, US, Europe, UK, India, Vietnam and Namibia.

  • 69% of maritime imports are via the Port of Durban. Imports are mainly from China, Germany, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, India and the US.

  • Most of the imports via air transportation are medical equipment, while imports via maritime transport are crude petroleum oil, distillate fuel, vehicles and vehicle components, rice and petrol.

  • The bulk of intra-Africa rail exports are to neighbouring countries Namibia (Nakop/Narogas border), Botswana (Ramatlabama), Zimbabwe (Beitbrdige), Mozambique (Komatipoort/Lebombo), Eswatini (Golela) and Lesotho (Maseru Bridge).

  • 46% of imports via rail transportation are from Botswana through the Ramatlabama border post and are mainly imports of dissodium carbonate, salt (not for human consumption) and coal.

  • 88% of South Africa's rail exports cross into Mozambique and more than half of these exports are shipped to Asia and Belgium.

  • 69% of South Africa's exports via road for the first 6 months of 2020 are products which are directly trucked to destination markets via the land border crossing between South Africa and designated destination market. The exceptions are Beitbridge (Zimbabwe), Grobler's Bridge and Ramatlabama (Botswana) and Lebombo (Mozambique).

  • 75% of road imports are trucked directly into South Africa via a border crossing between South Africa and the originating country.

  • Oshoek border crossing between South Africa and Eswatini accounts for the largest value of goods imported via road into South Africa; 28% of these imports.

South Africa’s transport routes: trade by air, maritime shipping, rail and road for January to June 2020

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