OVERVIEW 

Although the country's export trade is much more diversified and less dependent on mineral and gold exports than it was in 1970's and 80's, it still consists largely of primary and intermediate commodities to industrialised countries. 

Imports comprise mainly capital goods, raw materials, semi manufactured goods and consumer products: chemicals, machinery and equipment, vehicles and transport- associated goods.  Imports have grown faster due to economic expansion. 

 

DECEMBER 2002
Commodity	Exports	Imports
Food and Live Animals	3.69	15.11
Beverages and Tobacco	0.59	1.80
Crude Materials, Inedible, Except Fuels	7.37	32.52
Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials	9.71	1.65
Animal and Vegetable Oils, Fats and Waxes	0.99	0.07
Chemicals and Related Products, N.E.S.	31.82	29.16
Manufactured Goods Classified Chiefly by Material	11.98	207.62
Machinery and Transport Equipment	91.24	67.33
Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles	19.00	27.56
Commodities and Transactions, N.E.S.	8.90	11.59
TOTAL	185.29	394.40

 

Balance of Payments
SDDS Data Category and Component	Unit Description	Observations
		Date of Latest	Latest Data	Previous period
Imports of goods and services (nsa)	R Million	Q3 2002	85385	82198
Exports of goods and services (nsa)	R Million	Q3 2002	91657	93957
Net income receipts (nsa)	R Million	Q3 2002	-7345	-9967
Net transfer receipts (nsa)	R Million	Q3 2002	-1565	-1441
International reserves	R Million	Q3 2002	-1932	21735
Financial transactions	R Million	Q3 2002	734	21485