Exports: total value: $29.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: gold 27%, other minerals and metals 20%-25%, food 5%, chemicals 3% (1994) partners: Italy, Japan, US, Germany, UK, other EU countries, Hong Kong
Imports: total value : $26.9 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: machinery 32%, transport equipment 15%, chemicals 11%, petroleum products, textiles, scientific instruments (1994) partners: Germany, US, Japan, UK, Italy
Debt - external: $30 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA note: current aid pledges include US $600 million over three years, 1994-96; UK $150 million over three years; Australia $21 million over three years; Japan $1.3 billion over two years ending in 1996; EU $833 million over five years
Currency: 1 rand (R) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: rand (R) per US$1 - 4.6410 (January 1997), 4.2706 (1996), 3.6266 (1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@South Africa:Communications
Telephones: 5,206,235 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: the system is the best developed, most modern, and has the highest capacity in Africa domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, and radiotelephone communication stations; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria international : 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)