South African defence companies exported more than R10bn worth of military equipment and munitions in 2025, nearly triple the 2024 total of R3.6bn.
This is according to the latest National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) figures recently released as part of its 2025 annual report to parliament’s joint standing committee on defence.
A total of 582 export permits to 42 countries were approved in 2025, with a total value of R10.1bn, the NCACC revealed. Dual-use goods worth R600m were exported to 14 countries, with 132 permits issued. In addition, 23 marketing permits were authorised and 366 import permits were granted, with a total value of R269m.
The 2025 exports were substantially up over 2024, according to the NCACC, with R3.6bn worth of munitions exported in 2024 and R621m worth of dual-use items. In 2023 exports amounted to R7.1bn, up from R4.6bn in 2022. Last year, the NCACC recorded a 5% increase in registered companies.
Europe accounted for most exports in 2025 (42%), followed by the Middle East (23%), Africa (20%), the Asia-Pacific (12%), and the Americas (3%). The NCACC emphasised South Africa did not export to any country under UN embargoes and is not aware of any diversions of its munitions to countries involved in conflict. It refuted allegations that South African weapons ended up in Gaza and Ukraine.
Armoured vehicles accounted for a modest portion of 2025 exports, amounting to just more than R1bn. More than 130 vehicles were exported to more than a dozen countries, with the largest orders from Kenya (34 vehicles valued at R278m), Ghana (30 vehicles worth R93m), Malawi (15 vehicles valued at R145m), Cameroon (11 vehicles valued at R83m) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (10 vehicles valued at R94m).
Unspecified aircraft were sold to Iraq (six worth R802m), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (four worth R618m), Mozambique (two worth R327m), and the UAE (one worth R27m). The sales to the DRC and Mozambique are likely Paramount Mwaris.
The NCACC reported only two naval vessels were last year sold to Tanzania at a cost of R33m.
More than 10,000 light weapons were exported to 17 countries in 2025. Most were for a handful of units, the exception being 9,557 items for Zimbabwe valued at R35m. The next largest order was from Ghana for 100 items valued at R8m. In total about R230m worth of small arms were sold by South Africa in 2025.
Munitions again accounted for most South African defence exports, with a combined value of R4.8bn last year. The single largest contract was worth R3.3bn for 73,586 rounds/shells for Germany. Another notable contract was for 35,000 rounds/shells for Turkey valued at R676m. Estonia acquired 18,540 rounds/shells worth R212m, and Australia acquired 10,272 rounds/shells worth R279m. Most of the exports are believed to be from Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM).
The next largest category of exports was electronic equipment, with R68m worth of alerting and warning systems sold to nine countries; R985m worth of measuring/communications equipment sold to 20 countries; and R460m worth of countermeasure/observation equipment sold to 18 countries.
Regarding measuring/communication equipment, the biggest contracts went to India (219 items worth R452m), France (17 items worth R152m), Bangladesh (377 items worth R71m), and Brazil (10 items worth R71m). Australia acquired 10,272 countermeasure/observation equipment items worth R279m, Austria four items worth R48m, and Italy 443 items worth R45m.
Dual-use export items amounted to just more than R600m last year and included more than 1,200 items of armour worth R70m to five countries, with the largest orders for 1,142 items worth R7m for Cameroon and 12 items for the DRC (R62m). A total of R95m worth of electronics were sold to Belgium and Pakistan and R295m worth of communications/electronic warfare equipment was exported to 15 countries, with the largest order worth R69m from Germany. Other dual-use exports last year included R130m worth of information security systems to seven countries, two lasers worth R8m to the Netherlands, and a single unmanned aerial vehicle to Colombia worth R2.5m.
Defence imports into South Africa in 2025 totalled R269m and included 11 unspecified weapons from the UK, Slovakia and US worth more than R4m; 1,310 bombs worth R40m from Serbia and 30 bombs worth R12m from Belgium; 115,000 rounds of ammunition from seven countries (with the largest order being 113,000 rounds of ammunition worth R148m from China); R3m worth of alert and warning equipment from India; R5m worth of communication/navigation equipment from the UK; and R53m worth of observation/navigation/countermeasures equipment from five countries.
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