Computer, communications and other services in South Africa
South Africa: Computer, communications and other services was 44.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Computer, communications and other services in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for computer, communications and other services in South Africa is 44.2%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 2.0% on the previous year and up 25.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, computer, communications and other services in South Africa peaked at 50.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10.9%, in 1960.
That places South Africa 68th out of 198 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Computer, communications and other services in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of commercial service imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 10.9% | — |
| 1961 | 11.8% | +9.0% |
| 1962 | 16.0% | +35.6% |
| 1963 | 18.9% | +17.9% |
| 1964 | 17.9% | -5.3% |
| 1965 | 20.1% | +12.0% |
| 1966 | 24.5% | +22.0% |
| 1967 | 24.4% | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 25.4% | +4.2% |
| 1969 | 22.9% | -10.0% |
| 1970 | 19.9% | -12.9% |
| 1971 | 20.0% | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 22.0% | +10.0% |
| 1973 | 21.2% | -3.7% |
| 1974 | 14.9% | -29.4% |
| 1975 | 21.2% | +42.0% |
| 1976 | 21.0% | -1.0% |
| 1977 | 27.7% | +31.7% |
| 1978 | 30.7% | +10.9% |
| 1979 | 25.1% | -18.2% |
| 1980 | 24.0% | -4.5% |
| 1981 | 20.6% | -13.9% |
| 1982 | 21.8% | +5.8% |
| 1983 | 24.0% | +10.1% |
| 1984 | 22.2% | -7.7% |
| 1985 | 21.7% | -2.3% |
| 1986 | 19.7% | -9.3% |
| 1987 | 19.7% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 17.4% | -12.1% |
| 1989 | 18.6% | +7.2% |
| 1990 | 16.6% | -10.8% |
| 1991 | 15.5% | -6.8% |
| 1992 | 14.0% | -9.5% |
| 1993 | 13.1% | -6.0% |
| 1994 | 12.3% | -6.4% |
| 1995 | 13.7% | +11.7% |
| 1996 | 16.3% | +18.8% |
| 1997 | 14.7% | -9.7% |
| 1998 | 15.5% | +5.1% |
| 1999 | 14.0% | -9.9% |
| 2000 | 13.6% | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 16.3% | +20.4% |
| 2002 | 18.0% | +9.9% |
| 2003 | 17.6% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 19.4% | +10.6% |
| 2005 | 21.0% | +8.4% |
| 2006 | 22.1% | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 22.9% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 23.5% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 29.8% | +26.6% |
| 2010 | 30.1% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 29.9% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 30.7% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 33.5% | +9.3% |
| 2014 | 33.0% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 35.3% | +7.0% |
| 2016 | 39.9% | +13.0% |
| 2017 | 38.5% | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 36.3% | -5.6% |
| 2019 | 38.3% | +5.5% |
| 2020 | 50.7% | +32.4% |
| 2021 | 48.6% | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 38.9% | -20.0% |
| 2023 | 42.2% | +8.5% |
| 2024 | 43.3% | +2.7% |
| 2025 | 44.2% | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 19.3% | 10.9% | 25.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 22.4% | 14.9% | 30.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 21.0% | 17.4% | 24.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.6% | 12.3% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.4% | 13.6% | 29.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.5% | 29.9% | 39.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.7% | 38.9% | 50.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 65 Solomon Islands 44.8% compare
- 66 Brunei Darussalam 44.3% compare
- 67 Indonesia 44.2% compare
- 69 Uruguay 43.8% compare
- 70 Costa Rica 43.4% compare
- 71 Madagascar 42.5% compare
More private sector data for South Africa
- Merchandise trade 57.2% (2025)
- Food imports 7.2% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 62.1% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 128.08 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 12.8% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 38.3% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 116.40 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 1,798 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2725 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 5.74 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is computer, communications and other services in South Africa?
- Computer, communications and other services in South Africa was 44.2% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest computer, communications and other services recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 50.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest computer, communications and other services recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.9% in 1960.
- How does South Africa rank for computer, communications and other services?
- South Africa ranks 68th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is computer, communications and other services rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Computer, communications and other services include such activities as international telecommunications, and postal and courier services; computer data; news-related service transactions between residents and nonresidents; construction services; royalties and license fees; miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services; and personal, cultural, and recreational services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service imports which are commercial services provided by non-residents to residents.