Coromandel International
Foskor Richards Bay
2024-2024Company profileCountry market, Sub-Saharan Africa
South Africa fertiliser market: trade, demand and supply
South Africa exported 1.2 Mt of phosphate rock in 2025 (estimate), 3.9% of world exports (the 7th largest exporter).
Fertiliser demand, 2024 Demand: agricultural consumption of fertiliser nutrients (N, P₂O₅, K₂O), in tonnes of nutrient. Industrial uses of nitrogen are not included. Official statistics where reported, otherwise graded FertRadar estimates (grades A to D). Grade B: FAO estimate. Source: FAO and national statistics (CC BY 4.0), completed by graded FertRadar estimates 0.7% of world demand, grade B
N: net imports, 2025 Imports minus exports of fertilisers in nutrient tonnes, from the FertRadar trade matrix (indicator D10). Raw materials and intermediates excluded. Source: Customs statistics reconciled by CEPII (BACI, Etalab Open Licence 2.0), cleaned and adjusted by FertRadar net importer
P₂O₅: net imports, 2025 Imports minus exports of fertilisers in nutrient tonnes, from the FertRadar trade matrix (indicator D10). Raw materials and intermediates excluded. Source: Customs statistics reconciled by CEPII (BACI, Etalab Open Licence 2.0), cleaned and adjusted by FertRadar net importer
K₂O: net imports, 2025 Imports minus exports of fertilisers in nutrient tonnes, from the FertRadar trade matrix (indicator D10). Raw materials and intermediates excluded. Source: Customs statistics reconciled by CEPII (BACI, Etalab Open Licence 2.0), cleaned and adjusted by FertRadar net importer
Phosphate rock mining capacity Identified capacity at the end of 2024: sum of site capacities from producers' documents or authorities, converted to nutrient. Compared with the USGS country reference. Source: Producers' and authorities' documents site by site; U.S. Geological Survey for the country reference partly identified
Years up to 2024 are complete annual data; only 2025, the latest year, is a FertRadar estimate: trade from the monthly customs declarations (UN Comtrade), production from the output reported for 2025. Agricultural use is shown to 2024, the latest year with reported data.
What South Africa trades, 2025
28 products, tonnes of productProducts
Select a row to see the partners. World rank among exporters (X) and importers (M).
| Product | Exports | Imports | Net | Rank X | Rank M | Supplier concentration PRO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphate rock | 1.2 Mt | 0.1 kt | +1.2 Mt | #7 | #85 | n/a |
| Urea | 120 kt | 860 kt | −741 kt | #38 | #16 | ••• |
| Sulphur | 319 kt | 431 kt | −113 kt | #20 | #13 | ••• |
| Muriate of potash | 43 kt | 511 kt | −467 kt | #24 | #14 | ••• |
| Monoammonium phosphate | 87 kt | 389 kt | −302 kt | #10 | #6 | ••• |
| Ammonium sulphate | 39 kt | 366 kt | −327 kt | #24 | #18 | ••• |
| Calcium nitrate (double salts with AN) | 97 kt | 220 kt | −123 kt | #6 | #3 | ••• |
| Phosphoric acid | 234 kt | 14 kt | +220 kt | #10 | #38 | n/a |
| Ammonium nitrate | 208 kt | 31 kt | +177 kt | #11 | #52 | n/a |
| Anhydrous ammonia | 5 kt | 183 kt | −178 kt | #40 | #24 | ••• |
| Other nitrogenous fertilisers | 125 kt | 19 kt | +106 kt | #5 | #22 | n/a |
| Other fertilisers n.e.c. | 97 kt | 22 kt | +75 kt | #8 | #35 | n/a |
| Sulphate of potash | 7 kt | 104 kt | −97 kt | #22 | #3 | ••• |
| Sulphuric acid | 99 kt | 0.1 kt | +99 kt | #27 | #139 | n/a |
| Calcium ammonium nitrate | 3 kt | 59 kt | −56 kt | #35 | #34 | ••• |
| NPK compound fertilisers | 51 kt | 9 kt | +42 kt | #36 | #110 | n/a |
| Other potassic fertilisers | 20 kt | 23 kt | −4 kt | #11 | #22 | n/a |
| Other phosphatic fertilisers | 40 kt | 1 kt | +39 kt | #8 | #52 | n/a |
| Potassium nitrate | 0.7 kt | 36 kt | −35 kt | #25 | #9 | n/a |
| Other ammonium double salts and mixtures | 9 kt | 8 kt | +0.6 kt | #22 | #28 | n/a |
| Single superphosphate | 2 kt | 13 kt | −10 kt | #26 | #13 | n/a |
| PK fertilisers | 4 kt | 2 kt | +3 kt | #18 | #35 | n/a |
| Sodium nitrate | 2 kt | 4 kt | −1 kt | #9 | #21 | n/a |
| Other NP (incl. NPS, APS) | 2 kt | 2 kt | −0.1 kt | #34 | #67 | n/a |
| Diammonium phosphate | 0.1 kt | 4 kt | −4 kt | #66 | #84 | n/a |
| Triple superphosphate | 0.3 kt | 3 kt | −3 kt | #41 | #54 | n/a |
| Nitrophosphates | 2 kt | 0.2 kt | +2 kt | #25 | #64 | n/a |
| Urea ammonium nitrate solution | 0.2 kt | 0 kt | +0.2 kt | #43 | #97 | n/a |
Download: exports and imports in kt of product, one unit per column.
Phosphate rock: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
1Netherlands 516 kt44% 2Lithuania 404 kt34% 3Belgium 72 kt6.0% 4Australia 61 kt5.2% 5China 44 kt3.7% 6Mozambique 36 kt3.1% 7Japan 32 kt2.7% 8New Zealand 21 kt1.8%
Ranks 6 to 8 with a free account.
Urea: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
1Saudi Arabia 249 kt29% 2Russia 138 kt16% 3Qatar 107 kt12% 4Iran 84 kt9.8% 5China 82 kt9.6% 6Oman 72 kt8.3% 7Nigeria 52 kt6.1% 8United Arab Emirates 43 kt5.0% 9Bahrain 23 kt2.6%
Ranks 6 to 9 with a free account.
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
1Zambia 63 kt53% 2Zimbabwe 23 kt19% 3Eswatini 18 kt15% 4Namibia 6 kt4.9% 5DR Congo 4 kt3.3% 6Colombia 2 kt1.6%
Rank 6 with a free account.
Sulphur: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
1Saudi Arabia 146 kt34% 2Qatar 69 kt16% 3Kuwait 63 kt15% 4United Arab Emirates 59 kt14% 5Kazakhstan 51 kt12% 6Iran 21 kt4.8% 7Oman 20 kt4.5%
Ranks 6 to 7 with a free account.
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
Muriate of potash: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
1Russia 196 kt38% 2Chile 110 kt21% 3Uzbekistan 99 kt19% 4Germany 68 kt13% 5Belarus 24 kt4.8% 6Jordan 11 kt2.2%
Rank 6 with a free account.
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
Monoammonium phosphate: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
Ammonium sulphate: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
1Zambia 18 kt46% 2Zimbabwe 16 kt42% 3Mozambique 3 kt6.7% 4Namibia 0.9 kt2.2% 5Botswana 0.6 kt1.5% 6Eswatini 0.5 kt1.3%
Rank 6 with a free account.
Calcium nitrate (double salts with AN): partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
Phosphoric acid: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
1China 9 kt65% 2India 2 kt14% 3Israel 2 kt12% 4Serbia 0.7 kt5.1% 5France 0.2 kt1.4% 6Morocco 0.1 kt1.1%
Rank 6 with a free account.
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
1India 74 kt32% 2Belgium 51 kt22% 3Bangladesh 45 kt19% 4Netherlands 40 kt17% 5DR Congo 15 kt6.6% 6France 4 kt1.7% 7Eswatini 3 kt1.4%
Ranks 6 to 7 with a free account.
Ammonium nitrate: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
1Norway 21 kt69% 2Mauritius 4 kt13% 3Mozambique 2 kt7.1% 4Sweden 2 kt6.2%
5XX 1 kt3.2%
6China 0.4 kt1.3% Rank 6 with a free account.
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
1Zambia 82 kt40% 2Zimbabwe 35 kt17% 3DR Congo 30 kt14% 4Botswana 24 kt12% 5Namibia 21 kt10% 6Eswatini 7 kt3.3% 7Lesotho 2 kt1.1%
Ranks 6 to 7 with a free account.
Anhydrous ammonia: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
Other nitrogenous fertilisers: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
1Zambia 90 kt72% 2Botswana 13 kt10% 3Namibia 4 kt3.4% 4Mozambique 4 kt3.2% 5Zimbabwe 4 kt3.2% 6Eswatini 4 kt3.1% 7DR Congo 3 kt2.1% 8Lesotho 1 kt1.1%
Ranks 6 to 8 with a free account.
Other fertilisers n.e.c.: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
1Chile 12 kt54% 2China 4 kt20% 3Israel 3 kt12% 4Russia 0.6 kt2.6% 5United Kingdom 0.5 kt2.5% 6Spain 0.4 kt2.0% 7Finland 0.3 kt1.5% 8France 0.3 kt1.4%
Ranks 6 to 8 with a free account.
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
1Zambia 52 kt54% 2Namibia 16 kt17% 3Lesotho 8 kt7.8% 4Zimbabwe 6 kt6.0% 5Eswatini 5 kt5.2% 6Botswana 4 kt3.6% 7DR Congo 1 kt1.2% 8China 1 kt1.1%
Ranks 6 to 8 with a free account.
Sulphate of potash: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
1Germany 34 kt33% 2China 25 kt24% 3Egypt 17 kt17% 4Belgium 14 kt13% 5Russia 7 kt6.2% 6Taiwan 3 kt3.1% 7Uzbekistan 2 kt2.3%
Ranks 6 to 7 with a free account.
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
Sulphuric acid: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
No supplier above the publication threshold.
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
Calcium ammonium nitrate: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
NPK compound fertilisers: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
No supplier above the publication threshold.
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
Other potassic fertilisers: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
Other phosphatic fertilisers: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
No supplier above the publication threshold.
Customers
DestinationVolumeShare
Potassium nitrate: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
Customers
No customer above the publication threshold.
Other ammonium double salts and mixtures: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
No supplier above the publication threshold.
Customers
No customer above the publication threshold.
Single superphosphate: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
OriginVolumeShare
Customers
No customer above the publication threshold.
PK fertilisers: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
No supplier above the publication threshold.
Customers
No customer above the publication threshold.
Sodium nitrate: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
No supplier above the publication threshold.
Customers
No customer above the publication threshold.
Other NP (incl. NPS, APS): partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
No supplier above the publication threshold.
Customers
No customer above the publication threshold.
Diammonium phosphate: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
No supplier above the publication threshold.
Customers
No customer above the publication threshold.
Triple superphosphate: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
No supplier above the publication threshold.
Customers
No customer above the publication threshold.
Nitrophosphates: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
No supplier above the publication threshold.
Customers
No customer above the publication threshold.
Urea ammonium nitrate solution: partners
Share of South Africa's imports or exports, 2025.
Suppliers
No imports in 2025.
Customers
No customer above the publication threshold.
Main products over time
Six largest products of 2025 on each side, tonnes of product.
Phosphate rockSulphurPhosphoric acidAmmonium nitrateOther nitrogenous fertilisersUrea2025 estimated
kt product. Latest 26 years shown; the download has the full series.
| Year | Phosphate rock | Sulphur | Phosphoric acid | Ammonium nitrate | Other nitrogenous fertilisers | Urea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (estimate) | 1,187 | 319 | 234 | 208 | 125 | 120 |
| 2024 | 1,112 | 177 | 197 | 177 | 98.6 | 80.2 |
| 2023 | 764 | 194 | 272 | 176 | 131 | 57.4 |
| 2022 | 768 | 272 | 239 | 185 | 110 | 69.2 |
| 2021 | 282 | 266 | 166 | 170 | 121 | 107 |
| 2020 | 390 | 273 | 160 | 158 | 79.6 | 56.3 |
| 2019 | 661 | 420 | 166 | 149 | 62.5 | 50.6 |
| 2018 | 595 | 608 | 284 | 167 | 119 | 91.0 |
| 2017 | 472 | 345 | 262 | 144 | 131 | 94.4 |
| 2016 | 574 | 333 | 314 | 186 | 82.3 | 89.2 |
| 2015 | 620 | 255 | 136 | 153 | 83.5 | 161 |
| 2014 | 245 | 227 | 307 | 163 | 67.5 | 88.0 |
| 2013 | 176 | 211 | 433 | 159 | 76.7 | 84.0 |
| 2012 | 254 | 233 | 472 | 134 | 66.1 | 34.8 |
| 2011 | 154 | 269 | 565 | 139 | 8.60 | 49.5 |
| 2010 | 95.3 | 182 | 596 | 147 | 13.4 | 107 |
| 2009 | 58.1 | 57.2 | 774 | 135 | 11.9 | 54.3 |
| 2008 | 86.8 | 216 | 987 | 77.7 | 7.80 | 43.0 |
| 2007 | 140 | 164 | 871 | 60.7 | 10.9 | 45.4 |
| 2006 | 166 | 203 | 802 | 109 | 16.0 | 35.3 |
| 2005 | 228 | 357 | 925 | 123 | 13.1 | 75.3 |
| 2004 | 263 | 92.6 | 676 | 69.8 | 18.9 | 42.3 |
| 2003 | 286 | 93.8 | 592 | 91.5 | 9.20 | 107 |
| 2002 | 445 | 129 | 561 | 161 | 20.1 | 62.0 |
| 2001 | 475 | 92.3 | 660 | 135 | 8.00 | 30.2 |
| 2000 | 769 | 111 | 623 | 125 | 19.0 | 52.0 |
Latest 10 years shown. for the full history since 1995, every view and the table.
FertRadar, from customs statistics reconciled by CEPII (BACI)About this data
Nutrient balance
exports minus imports, tonnes of nutrientCompoundsIntermediatesNitrogen2025 estimated
kt N, exports minus imports. Latest 26 years shown; the download has the full series.
| Year | Compounds | Intermediates | Nitrogen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (estimate) | −27.2 | −151 | −384 |
| 2024 | −24.9 | −136 | −461 |
| 2023 | −19.0 | −57.6 | −420 |
| 2022 | −25.6 | −116 | −633 |
| 2021 | −30.9 | −117 | −684 |
| 2020 | −9.70 | −86.5 | −395 |
| 2019 | −25.2 | −56.0 | −575 |
| 2018 | −9.80 | −91.1 | −356 |
| 2017 | 2.70 | −82.2 | −391 |
| 2016 | −7.70 | −79.7 | −343 |
| 2015 | −10.5 | −89.5 | −215 |
| 2014 | −10.8 | −127 | −348 |
| 2013 | 4.10 | −119 | −255 |
| 2012 | 55.9 | −120 | −319 |
| 2011 | 40.8 | −71.4 | −344 |
| 2010 | 26.4 | −56.9 | −245 |
| 2009 | 28.7 | −53.9 | −169 |
| 2008 | 6.60 | −77.2 | −291 |
| 2007 | 8.70 | −57.5 | −288 |
| 2006 | 8.40 | −33.7 | −214 |
| 2005 | 30.9 | −53.6 | −135 |
| 2004 | 12.1 | −53.0 | −208 |
| 2003 | 38.2 | −99.9 | −126 |
| 2002 | 20.2 | −83.9 | −211 |
| 2001 | 29.4 | −24.1 | −112 |
| 2000 | 53.3 | −19.1 | −122 |
Latest 10 years shown. for the full history since 1995, every view and the table.
Raw materials and intermediates are shown apart from fertilisers.About this data
By product family, 2025
| Family | Exports | Imports | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compounds | 18 kt | 45 kt | −27 kt |
| Intermediates | 5 kt | 155 kt | −151 kt |
| Nitrogen | 150 kt | 534 kt | −384 kt |
| Family | Exports | Imports | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compounds | 55 kt | 207 kt | −152 kt |
| Intermediates | 126 kt | 8 kt | +119 kt |
| Phosphate | 9 kt | 4 kt | +5 kt |
| Raw materials | 356 kt | 0 kt | +356 kt |
| Family | Exports | Imports | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compounds | 9 kt | 2 kt | +7 kt |
| Intermediates | 0.3 kt | 17 kt | −16 kt |
| Potash | 35 kt | 364 kt | −329 kt |
Demand
agricultural consumption, tonnes of nutrient, 1995-2024NP₂O₅K₂Oestimate (grade C or D)
kt nutrient, agricultural consumption.
| Year | N | P₂O₅ | K₂O |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 640 | 491 | 312 |
| 2023 | 578 | 418 | 207 |
| 2022 | 554 | 428 | 234 |
| 2021 | 647 | 447 | 288 |
| 2020 | 588 | 386 | 256 |
| 2019 | 535 | 325 | 241 |
| 2018 | 508 | 317 | 256 |
| 2017 | 500 | 304 | 242 |
| 2016 | 491 | 290 | 227 |
| 2015 | 304 | 361 | 213 |
| 2014 | 475 | 353 | 198 |
| 2013 | 402 | 264 | 184 |
| 2012 | 416 | 266 | 169 |
| 2011 | 483 | 221 | 155 |
| 2010 | 441 | 211 | 140 |
| 2009 | 433 | 198 | 126 |
| 2008 | 424 | 185 | 111 |
| 2007 | 439 | 193 | 137 |
| 2006 | 429 | 204 | 153 |
| 2005 | 347 | 159 | 117 |
| 2004 | 428 | 228 | 146 |
| 2003 | 421 | 201 | 128 |
| 2002 | 477 | 225 | 137 |
| 2001 | 459 | 223 | 135 |
| 2000 | 442 | 221 | 134 |
| 1999 | 424 | 220 | 133 |
| 1998 | 406 | 218 | 132 |
| 1997 | 405 | 225 | 131 |
| 1996 | 405 | 256 | 143 |
| 1995 | 405 | 256 | 143 |
Latest 10 years shown. for the full history since 1995, every view and the table.
FertRadar, from FAO and national statistics. Dashed: FertRadar estimates, grades C and DAbout this data
Indicators, 2024
Import dependence and growth are part of Pro.
| Indicator | N | P₂O₅ | K₂O |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumption per hectare of cropland, kg (FAO, as published, 2024) | 46.4B | 35.6B | 22.7B |
| Consumption per capita, kg (FAO, as published, 2024) | 10.0B | 7.7B | 4.9B |
| Share of world demand, % | 0.6B | 1.1B | 0.8B |
| Import dependence, net imports / consumption, % PRO | ••• | ••• | ••• |
| Growth of consumption, 5-year compound, % a year PRO | ••• | ••• | ••• |
Supply
production of fertiliser nutrients and mining capacityProduction, 1995-2025
Tonnes of nutrient produced, each in its own basis.
NP₂O₅K₂Oestimate (grade C or D)2025 estimated
kt nutrient, production.
| Year | N | P₂O₅ | K₂O |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (estimate) | 172 | 445 | 0.00 |
| 2024 | 172 | 449 | 0.00 |
| 2023 | 157 | 394 | 0.00 |
| 2022 | 157 | 405 | 0.00 |
| 2021 | 174 | 371 | 0.00 |
| 2020 | 177 | 372 | 0.00 |
| 2019 | 181 | 285 | 0.00 |
| 2018 | 185 | 395 | 0.00 |
| 2017 | 197 | 420 | 0.00 |
| 2016 | 177 | 401 | 0.00 |
| 2015 | 184 | 324 | 0.00 |
| 2014 | 244 | 438 | 0.00 |
| 2013 | 211 | 503 | 0.00 |
| 2012 | 215 | 519 | 0.00 |
| 2011 | 220 | 563 | 0.00 |
| 2010 | 225 | 552 | 0.00 |
| 2009 | 229 | 646 | 0.00 |
| 2008 | 275 | 674 | 0.00 |
| 2007 | 259 | 638 | 0.00 |
| 2006 | 259 | 584 | 0.00 |
| 2005 | 248 | 713 | 0.00 |
| 2004 | 247 | 601 | 0.00 |
| 2003 | 266 | 627 | 0.00 |
| 2002 | 265 | 572 | 0.00 |
| 2001 | 266 | 670 | 0.00 |
| 2000 | 309 | 699 | 0.00 |
| 1999 | 468 | 778 | 0.00 |
| 1998 | 423 | 606 | 0.00 |
| 1997 | 416 | 727 | 0.00 |
| 1996 | 435 | 758 | 0.00 |
| 1995 | 441 | 614 | 0.00 |
Latest 10 years shown. for the full history since 1995, every view and the table.
FertRadar, from FAO and national statistics. Dashed: FertRadar estimates, grades C and DAbout this data
Self-sufficiency, 2024
Production divided by consumption, by nutrient.
| Indicator | N | P₂O₅ | K₂O |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-sufficiency, production / consumption, % PRO | ••• | ••• | ••• |
Mining capacity: 3 sites
Operators and sites are free; capacity by site, history and the source of each figure are part of Pro.
| Company | Site | Product | Capacity, kt product a year PRO | Nutrient, kt P₂O₅ a year PRO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foskor (Pty) Ltd | Phalaborwa mine and concentrator (Mining Division)operating, not in the total | Phosphate rock | ••• | |
| Kropz plc / Kropz Elandsfontein | Elandsfontein mine, West Coast (Western Cape) | Phosphate rock | ••• | ••• |
| Foskor (Pty) Ltd | Phalaborwa mine and concentrator (Mining Division) | Phosphate rock | ••• | ••• |
Companies in South Africa
producers with published figuresNarrow down: South Africa by nutrient and by product
Data pack: South Africa fertiliser market
South Africa, all fertilisers, raw materials and intermediates: demand and supply 1995-2025, trade 1995-2025, partners of the latest year, prices.
- DemandAgricultural consumption of N, P₂O₅ and K₂O, kt of nutrient, with data quality grade.31 rows
- SupplyProduction of N, P₂O₅ and K₂O fertiliser nutrients, kt of nutrient, with grade.31 rows
- IndicatorsIndicators of 2024: total demand, consumption per hectare and per capita, share of world, self-sufficiency, net imports, import dependence, growth.8 rows
- Imports volumeImports by product, kt product, 1995-2025 (2025 estimated).29 rows
- Imports valueImports by product, USD million, FOB, 1995-2025 (2025 estimated).29 rows
- Imports unit valueImports by product, USD per tonne of product, 1995-2025 (2025 estimated).29 rows
- Exports volumeExports by product, kt product, 1995-2025 (2025 estimated).29 rows
- Exports valueExports by product, USD million, FOB, 1995-2025 (2025 estimated).29 rows
- Exports unit valueExports by product, USD per tonne of product, 1995-2025 (2025 estimated).28 rows
- Nutrient balanceExports, imports and balance in kt of nutrient, by nutrient and product family. Raw materials and intermediates shown apart.30 rows
- SuppliersSuppliers by product in the latest year: volume, value, unit value and share.84 rows
- DestinationsDestinations by product in the latest year: volume, value, unit value and share.92 rows
- Mining capacityMining sites at end-2024: operator, status, capacity as published, nutrient capacity and source.3 rows
- ProducersProducers with published figures in this country (sites or group figures).1 rows
- PricesWorld Bank benchmarks, monthly averages, nominal US dollars per tonne of product (gas per MMBtu).321 rows
- AdjustmentsCorrections FertRadar applied to the customs data behind this file, with their evidence.97 rows
Also in the file: a Read me sheet (contents, units, how to cite, terms of use), the Sources sheet with every source, its licence and address, and the Definitions sheet with grades and notes.
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About this data
MethodologyDefinitions6
- Trade
- Sum of all reported bilateral flows of the product in the year, in tonnes of product, after FertRadar adjustments (phantom tonnes imputed, reclassifications, duplicate codes removed).
- Net imports (D10)
- Imports minus exports of fertilisers in nutrient tonnes, from the FertRadar trade matrix (indicator D10). Raw materials and intermediates excluded.
- Demand
- Demand: agricultural consumption of fertiliser nutrients (N, P₂O₅, K₂O), in tonnes of nutrient. Industrial uses of nitrogen are not included. Official statistics where reported, otherwise graded FertRadar estimates (grades A to D).
- Production
- Production of fertiliser nutrients (N, P₂O₅, K₂O), in tonnes of nutrient, as reported by countries; gaps filled with graded FertRadar estimates. Not mine output: mine production and capacity are shown separately.
- Grades
- A official or provisional, B FAO estimate or imputation, C FertRadar estimate anchored on independent data, D FertRadar statistical estimate.
- Mining capacity
- Identified capacity at the end of 2024: sum of site capacities from producers' documents or authorities, converted to nutrient. Compared with the USGS country reference.
Sources and reliability8
Official statistics and the producers' own documents only, cleaned and reconciled by FertRadar. Every figure keeps a reference to its document, and every correction to the customs data is documented one by one.
- CEPII, BACI (Etalab Open Licence 2.0)
- United Nations Statistics Division, UN Comtrade
- FAO, FAOSTAT (CC BY 4.0)
- U.S. Geological Survey, USGS Minerals Yearbook (Public domain)
- United Nations Statistics Division, Standard country or area codes for statistical use
- U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries (Public domain)
- Producers and authorities, Annual reports
- Documents cited by the adjustments: CEPII; EuroChem; Interfax; Metals & Mining Intelligence via Vedomosti; OCP Group; Statistics Agency under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Uralkali; USGS; Various companies and regulators
The document, page and date behind each figure are listed in the Pro data files. Sources and licences
Adjustments to the customs data97
FertRadar corrects, reclassifies or annotates customs flows only on documented evidence. Those touching this page: 43 corrections, 27 reclassifications, 23 context notes and 4 known anomalies; 27 confirmed by a published figure, 43 estimated.
PROEach adjustment, with its explanation, years and sources Unlock with Pro
Notes10
- South Africa imported 860 kt of urea in 2025 (estimate), 1.4% of world imports (the 16th largest importer).
- Agricultural use of fertiliser nutrients was 1.4 Mt in 2024: 640 kt N, 491 kt P₂O₅ and 312 kt K₂O.
- Fertiliser production in 2024: 172 kt N and 449 kt P₂O₅ (includes FertRadar estimates).
- Exports, imports and balance (exports minus imports) by nutrient and product family. Raw materials and intermediates are shown apart from fertilisers so as not to mix them.
- Trade figures: CEPII BACI with the FertRadar adjustments listed on this page. Tonnes of product unless stated; kt = thousand tonnes, Mt = million tonnes.
- 2025 is a FertRadar estimate from the monthly customs declarations (UN Comtrade), hatched in the charts. Replaced by the annual data when published.
- Values exclude freight and insurance (FOB equivalent). Unit values are customs averages over shipments under different contracts, not market prices.
- Fertiliser use and production: FertRadar best estimate (FAOSTAT values as reported, gaps filled with graded FertRadar estimates). Grades: A official or provisional, B FAO estimate or imputation, C FertRadar estimate anchored on independent data, D FertRadar statistical estimate.
- Years as reported to FAO (some countries report fiscal or fertiliser years). No forecasts.
- Two kinds of production. Nitrogen (N) and phosphate (P₂O₅): fertiliser production, the nutrient contained in the fertiliser products made in the country. Potash (K₂O): mine output, all uses included. Production of raw materials for all uses (phosphate rock, ammonia, sulphur) is shown on the product and capacity pages.
How to cite
FertRadar (2026), "South Africa fertiliser market: trade, demand and supply", fertradar.com, https://fertradar.com/countries/south-africa/, Release 2026.10.