India and South Africa
The fight against apartheid and an extensive community of Indian origin give the relationship historical depth. Today they cooperate in trade, technology, training and maritime security, within and outside BRICS and IBSA.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Gandhi, apartheid and diplomatic normalization
Gandhi's time in South Africa and India's opposition to apartheid are central to the relationship.
Minerals, businesses and Global South cooperation
Exchanges connect South Africa's mining and industrial base with Indian manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and services.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 15,509.09 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND |
| Goods: India to South Africa | 6,992.32 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND |
| Goods: South Africa to India | 8,516.77 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: India to South Africa | 1.57 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND |
| Export share: South Africa to India | ||
| Investment stock: India in South Africa | ||
| Investment stock: South Africa in India |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND · Goods; full year; IND reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: India to South Africa
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND · Goods; full year; IND reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: South Africa to India
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND · Goods; full year; IND reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: India to South Africa
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / IND · Goods share: IND exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | India | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 3.96 trillion USD2025 · WB | 427.18 billion USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP per capita | 2,702.48 USD2025 · WB | 6,597.71 USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP growth | 7.57 %2025 · WB | 1.11 %2025 · World Bank |
| Policy interest rate | 5.25 %2026-10-06 · RBI | |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.4 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 3.21 %Annual average · 2025 · World Bank |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 4.82 %provisionalprovisionalYear-on-year · Aug. 2026 · MoSPI | 4.4 %Year-on-year · 2026-08 · Stats SAurban |
| Unemployment | 4.22 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 32.39 %ILO est.2025 · World Bank |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -7.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -5.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 84.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 78.6 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -0.42 %2025 · WB | -0.42 %2025 · World Bank |
| Population | 1,463,865,5252025 · WB | 64,747,3192025 · World Bank |
| Area | 3,287,260 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 1,219,090 km²2023 · World Bank |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDIndia: 2025 · World BankSouth Africa: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personIndia: 2025 · World BankSouth Africa: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)India: 2025 · World BankSouth Africa: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)India: 2026-10-06 · RBI policy repo rate · Reserve Bank of India (RBI) · Access date for Current Rates; does not represent a new decision on 6 October. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-06
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)India: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · World BankSouth Africa: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedIndia: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · MoSPI / Press Information Bureau, Government of India · Published: 2026-09-14 · provisional · Provisional · Combined rural and urban headline CPI, 2024 base; provisional MoSPI figure. Not food or wholesale inflation. Provisional figure or official advance release; subject to revision.South Africa: 2026-08 · Headline CPI; change from the same month of the previous year · Stats SA · Urban headline CPI, not a geographically comprehensive national index or core inflation.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionIndia: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.South Africa: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)India: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.South Africa: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)India: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.South Africa: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPIndia: 2025 · World BankSouth Africa: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleIndia: 2025 · World BankSouth Africa: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceIndia: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOSouth Africa: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
India to South Africa
South Africa to India
How trade has changed
Billions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | India to South Africa | South Africa to India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17,060.2 | 5,989.5 | 11,070.7 |
| 2022 | 19,432.3 | 8,265.8 | 11,166.5 |
| 2023 | 19,380 | 8,019.7 | 11,360.3 |
| 2024 | 20,605.5 | 8,136.5 | 12,469 |
| 2025 | 15,509.1 | 6,992.3 | 8,516.8 |
Connections between people
The community of Indian origin is predominantly a historical South African community. Its size is not used as a count of immigrants of Indian nationality; technical training and academic stays also have different coverage. [2]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from India living in South Africa | ||
| Residents from South Africa living in India | ||
| Study and training: India in South Africa | ||
| Study and training: South Africa in India | ||
| Academic stays: India in South Africa | ||
| Academic stays: South Africa in India | ||
| Travel: India to South Africa | ||
| Travel: South Africa to India |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Gandhi, apartheid and diplomatic normalization
Gandhi's time in South Africa and India's opposition to apartheid are central to the relationship. India interrupted trade with the South African government in 1946 and supported international isolation of the regime. Normalization came during the transition: the diplomatic and consular relations agreement was signed on 22 November 1993. The 1997 Red Fort declaration established a strategic partnership. These precedents explain institutional and social ties, but do not make the two states' policies identical. The current relationship incorporates businesses, training and multilateral diplomacy alongside historical memory. [1] [2]
Minerals, businesses and Global South cooperation
Exchanges connect South Africa's mining and industrial base with Indian manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and services. Businesses and administrations maintain mechanisms on market access, investment and agricultural products. Multilateral contacts include BRICS, the G20 and IBSA, the forum of India, Brazil and South Africa. Each format serves a different function; belonging to them does not replace a bilateral trade agreement. The April 2026 report records business meetings, digital cooperation and a science, technology and innovation commission held in Pretoria in July 2025. Those mechanisms enable work on specific barriers and capabilities. [2] [3]
The scale of the two economies
India's reference nominal GDP is 3956.1 billion USD in 2025, compared with 427.2 in 2025 for South Africa. The reference populations are 1463.87 million (2025) and 64.75 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, India's nominal GDP was 9.26 times South Africa's. The figures contextualize market size; they do not in themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or demographic extrapolations retain their markings in the table. A ratio is not calculated when the periods do not match. [5] [6] [7] [8]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Training and contacts in late 2025 and in 2026
During the Johannesburg G20 in November 2025, bilateral contacts and an IBSA meeting took place. The updated April 2026 report describes cooperation in professional skills and naval and cultural activities. The Gandhi–Mandela center offers technical trade training, and ITEC has its own participant coverage. Their places do not equal the total number of university students between both countries. For businesses and citizens, entry permits, qualifications and consular procedures are practical matters: a working meeting on immigration and consular affairs was held in Pretoria in May 2025. [2] [3]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between India and South Africa totaled 15,509.1 million USD. India's shipments to South Africa were USD 6992.3 million; shipments in the opposite direction were USD 8516.8 million. India's shipments to the partner represented 1.57% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporter. A single customs declaration is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or subsidiaries' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [4]
Milestones and consequences
- 1946
Trade rupture with the apartheid regime
India begins an isolation policy that subsequently expands. [2]
- 1993-11-22
Diplomatic normalisation
The diplomatic and consular relations agreement is signed. [1]
- 1997-03
Strategic partnership
The Red Fort declaration broadens the relationship. [1]
- 2025-06-24
Submarine rescue
Technical cooperation between the navies takes shape. [2]
- 2025-11
G20 and IBSA
High-level contacts continue in Johannesburg. [3]
- 2026-02
Naval activities in India
South African participation in MILAN and IFR. [2]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- History of the relationship with South Africa
India MEA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- India–South Africa bilateral report, April 2026
India MEA · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Visit to South Africa for the 2025 G20
Prime Minister’s Office India · Institutional source · Document: 2025-11-21 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 699; partners 0,710,458
UN Comtrade / IND · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
- SP.POP.TOTL; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 26; 2025; reporter 699; partners 710,458; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / IND · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 699; partners 710,458; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / IND · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 699; partners 710,458; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / IND · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 699; partners 710,458; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / IND · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / IND
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 26; 2025; reporter 699; partners 710,458; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / IND
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 699; partners 710,458; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / IND
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 699; partners 710,458; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / IND
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 699; partners 710,458; X/M; annual goods.