South Africa's trade surplus widened to ZAR 19.8 billion in September 2026, the largest since March, from an upwardly revised ZAR 19 billion in the prior month. Exports surged by 5.1% over a month to ZAR 190.6 billion, bolstered by higher shipments of precious metals & stones (+21%), base metals (+17%) and mineral products (+4%). Conversely, exports declined for vehicles trasnport & equipment (-10%) and machinery & electronics (-8%). Meanwhile, imports grew by 5.2% to ZAR 170.8 billion, driven by purchases of mineral products (+37%) and vehicles & transport equipment (+9%).