SARS releases trade statistics for August 2019

Pretoria, 30 September 2019 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) today releases trade statistics for August 2019 recording a trade surplus of R6.84 billion. These statistics include trade data with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN). The year-to-date (01 January to 31 August 2019) trade deficit R0.85 billion is a deterioration from the R4.67 billion surplus for the comparable period in 2018. Exports increased by 6.9% year-on-year whilst imports for the same period showed an increase of 7.6%.