According to data released by the South African Revenue Service (SARS), in February of the current year the value of South Africa's exports of base metals and articles thereof totaled ZAR 11.49 billion ($1.09 billion), increasing by 7.9 percent from January. In the first two months of this year, South Africa's export value of base metals and articles thereof increased by 45.7 percent year on year, reaching ZAR 22.13 billion ($2.09 billion).

In February this year, the country's imports of base metals and articles thereof amounted to ZAR 4.26 billion ($402.57 million), down 4.4 percent from January, while in the first two months of the current year South African imports of base metals and articles thereof rose 15.9 percent year on year to ZAR 8.72 billion ($8.24 billion).