South Africa economy: GDP, investment, trade and remittances
How large the South Africa economy is and how fast it is growing, who invests in it, what it sells and buys, how much its citizens abroad send home, who it owes and what it holds in reserve. The latest published year is shown with each figure.
South Africa economy snapshot: GDP, growth and income per person
South Africa's GDP was US$427.2 billion in 2025, after real growth of 1.1%.
GDP
Current US dollars.
Real GDP growth
Annual change, per cent. Red bars are contractions.
GDP per person
Current US dollars.
Source: World Bank, 2025. Method
Who invests in South Africa and in what
Direct investment by investing country
United Kingdom was the largest investing country in South Africa, at 25% of inward direct investment positions in 2024.
Inward direct investment positions in South Africa at the end of 2024: the stock of foreign direct investment, not a year's new flow. The 10 largest investing countries.
Source: IMF, 2024. Method
What South Africa sells and buys
Pearls, precious stones and metals was 20% of exports in 2025.
South Africa sold the most to China, 11% of exports in 2025.
Exports by product, 2025
Tile area follows value. Each tile is a customs chapter of the Harmonized System; hover for the full name.
Source: UN Comtrade, 2025. Method
Top buyers, 2025
Share of South Africa's exports.
Top suppliers, 2025
Share of South Africa's imports.
Source: UN Comtrade, 2025. Method
What South Africa buys, 2025
The 8 largest product chapters in imports.
Source: UN Comtrade, 2025. Method
Trade balance of goods
Exports minus imports. Red bars are years when imports were larger. A year is left out when either side is not published.
Source: UN Comtrade, 2025. Method
Remittances against foreign direct investment in South Africa
Foreign direct investment net inflows were negative in 2025: more investment left South Africa than came in.
Source: World Bank, 2026. Method
Remittances and investment as a share of GDP
The same two flows measured against the size of the economy.
Source: World Bank, 2026. Method
Who South Africa owes
External debt stock by type of creditor. Creditor types cover public and publicly guaranteed debt; the grey part is the rest of the total external debt stock. A creditor type with no published figure is not shown.
Bondholders held 44% of South Africa's external debt stock in 2024.
Public external debt owed to China was US$3.3 billion in 2024, 2% of the external debt stock.
Source: World Bank, 2026. Method
Reserves and months of import cover
Total reserves including gold, and how many months of imports they cover.
Source: World Bank, 2026. Method
Aid received by South Africa
Net official development assistance and official aid received.
Source: World Bank, 2026. Method
More on South Africa
- South Africa government budget: education and health spending
- South Africa government directory
- African economies compared: GDP, investment, trade and remittances
World Bank data pages for South Africa: GDP, GDP growth, GDP per person, remittances, foreign direct investment, reserves, months of imports, external debt, debt by creditor, aid. UN Comtrade: trade data. IMF: direct investment positions.