However, no country can exist in today’s “global village” in complete isolation. The global economic landscape is, now more than ever, characterised by an increasing interdependence among the countries of the world, and South Africa is certainly no exception.

Currently ranked as the world’s 40th largest trading nation, South Africa is the world’s largest producer of platinum and a major producer of diamonds, gold, coal and a range of other metals and minerals. South Africa also exports transport equipment, machinery and other value-added items, as well as agricultural produce in unprocessed and processed forms.

The export of such goods is an important source of income for the country, and, because of this interdependency, South Africa offers a uniquely fortuitous climate for import and export managers, traders and experts. Here’s why you should consider entering the import/export market in South Africa:

South Africa’s exports are on the rise

Over the decades, South Africa has increased the volume and value of manufactured goods exports, which goes a long way towards disproving the perception that South African manufacturers cannot compete internationally. Success has, quite naturally, been led by South Africa’s expertise in fields such as mining equipment and associated civil engineering sectors, as well as in other specialised areas such as certain medical, communications and agricultural equipment.

The import sector is bustling

South Africa’s current import figures reflect the country’s dependence on foreign sources of industrial goods. Industrial imports make up approximately 80% of the total value of South Africa’s imports. Not all of these industrial imports are high-value capital goods however; many are parts and industrial consumables.

While only about 20% of South Africa’s imports are in the form of finished consumer goods, this nonetheless represents a valuable and widely varied group of products. You only have to walk around a shopping mall filled with an incredible amount of finished goods that have been imported to South Africa from around the world to realise that the import sector is growing rapidly. With such growth comes a new opportunity for traders and import consultants to take advantage of.

A privileged position

South Africa is one of just a few countries in the world with a good balance between exports and imports. While this balance could always be improved, South Africa is not totally dependent on imports, and is a strong exporter. This means that career opportunities exist in both sectors in nearly equal amounts.

Never a dull moment

So much has changed in South Africa’s international trade landscape in just a few decades. It takes only a short glimpse into South Africa’s trade history to see that growth has been adaptive and exponential – and that it is only set to get better. The market is always changing and evolving, and there is always something new and stimulating to learn in this industry. If you want a career that is never stagnant or boring, import and export management is definitely for you.

Learn something new every day

There are many logistical, technical and financial considerations when importing and exporting products and, while there is a lot of potential for growth if you operate in international trade, there are continual developments in this field and it is very important for one to keep up-to-date and on the lookout for new information and skills

If you are interested in this topic, consider the UCT Import and Export Management short course. For more information, click here.