Country Information

South Africa

Nominal GDP (2008)
US $282 billion

Population (2008)
47.8 million

Total Trade/GDP(2008)
60%

Currency
Rand

Merchandise imports
from Canada (2008)
CAD $642.1 million

Main imports
Manufactured foods (90%)

+ more

EDC in South Africa 2008

Canadian companies assisted
165

International buyers insured
298

Business volume (CAD$)
411.9 M

Country Information

South Africa

Canada has a well established trade relationship with South Africa, and there is a high potential for trade and investment opportunities for Canadian companies in South Africa. Business opportunities exist across a wide range of sectors that match Canadian capabilities, including: mining equipment and services; oil and gas equipment and services; transportation; information and communication technologies; infrastructure; and power. EDC will consider transactions in these and any other sectors identified by Canadian companies.

EDC's Position

Actively seeking new business
Open under all programs, subject to EDC’s regular approval criteria

EDC has developed relationships with leading South African financial institutions in order to open doors to Canadian companies. South Africa offers one of the best operational and business environments in Africa and emerging markets.

Grow Your Exports

Information, tools and contacts to help you expand your markets overseas.

Contact EDC

1-888-332-7844
africa@edc.ca

EDC Contacts in this location:

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Top Ten Potential Sectors from EDC’s Trade Opportunities Matrix

Ranking	South Africa	Actual Canadian Exports to South Africa 2008 (CAD$)	Canada's Share of South Africa Imports (%) (1)	Domestic Market Growth Forecast 2009 (%)	Domestic Market Growth Forecast 2010 (%)
1	ISIC 1 - Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry, Fishing South Africa	100,869,470	4.73	36.5	21.4
2	ISIC 372 - Non-Ferrous Metals South Africa	3,860,780	1.03	17.2	-6.4
3	ISIC 311 - Processed Food Products South Africa	49,603,643	2.54	8.6	0.8
4	ISIC 3829 - Other Machinery & Equipment South Africa	53,029,723	0.98	6.1	3.3
5	ISIC 383 - Electrical & Electronic Products South Africa	36,539,528	0.59	6	9.2
6	ISIC 3845 - Aircraft South Africa	14,140,228	8	-0.6	0.1
7	ISIC 21 & 22 - Energy (oil and gas) South Africa	146,439,919	0.42	-5	21.4
8	ISIC 3851 - Professional, Science,Measuring equipment South Africa	26,092,904	1.12	10.2	8
9	ISIC 3824 - Special Industry Machinery South Africa	27,194,347	0.9	8.8	3.7
10	ISIC 3849 - Other Transportation Equipment South Africa	13,602,739	1.06	-6.6	-11.3
Where does this information come from? The information displayed in this table is extracted from the Trade Opportunities Matrix (TOM), an EDC tool used to rank opportunities based on a range of economic, financial and industry-specific criteria. It is important keep in mind that the TOM rankings refer to potential export opportunities, which may not reflect actual Canadian exports. TOM is an empirically-based tool that provides an objective and forward-looking analysis of the most attractive markets for Canadian exporters. Using up-to-date economic and financial criteria, TOM ranks Canadian export opportunities in 44 industries, across 69 countries. TOM provides an objective starting point for export market research, which can be used to complement in-depth industry analysis and sector-specific knowledge. Please refer to the TOM background paper for additional details.