South Africa's arms exports are set to reach a record high of $550 million by 2025.

South African defense companies exported military equipment and ammunition worth more than 10 billion rand in 2025 ($550 million), nearly three times the 2024 total of 3.6 billion rand, according to the latest figures from the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC).

South Africa’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) released its 2025 annual report to the Joint Standing Committee on Defence in Parliament. The report revealed that 582 export licenses were approved to 42 countries during 2025, with a total value of 10.1 billion rand. Dual-use goods worth 600 million rand were exported to 14 countries under 132 licenses. In addition, 23 marketing licenses and 366 import licenses were granted, with a total value of 269 million rand.

Exports in 2025 saw a significant increase compared to 2024, according to South Africa’s National Counter Terrorism Agency, with ammunition exports valued at 3.6 billion rand in 2024, along with dual-use goods worth 621 million rand.

Exports in 2023 amounted to R7.1 billion, up from R4.6 billion in 2022. Last year, the National Counter Terrorism Authority recorded a 5% increase in the number of registered companies.

South African exports

Europe accounted for the majority of exports in 2025 (42%), followed by the Middle East (23%), then Africa (20%), Asia Pacific (12%), and finally the Americas (3%).

The National Chemical Weapons Control Council confirmed that South Africa has not exported any products to any country subject to a UN embargo, and that it is unaware of any diversions of its munitions to countries involved in conflicts. The council denied allegations that South African weapons had reached Gaza and Ukraine.

Armored vehicles constituted a modest proportion of exports in 2025, valued at slightly over one billion rand. More than 130 vehicles were exported to more than twelve countries, with the largest orders coming from Kenya (34 vehicles worth 278 million rand), Ghana (30 vehicles worth 93 million rand), Malawi (15 vehicles worth 145 million rand), Cameroon (11 vehicles worth 83 million rand), and the United Arab Emirates (ten vehicles worth 94 million rand).

Unidentified aircraft were also sold to Iraq (six aircraft for 802 million rand), the Democratic Republic of Congo (four aircraft for 618 million rand), Mozambique (two aircraft for 327 million rand), and the United Arab Emirates (one aircraft for 27 million rand). The aircraft sales to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique are likely to have been manufactured by Paramount Morais.

South Africa’s National Counter-Terrorism Council reported that only two naval vessels were sold last year to Tanzania, at a cost of 33 million rand.

South Africa's export figures reach record highs

More than 10,000 light weapons were exported to 17 countries in 2025, with the majority of orders being for a small number of units, with the exception of 9,557 units to Zimbabwe worth 35 million rand.

The second largest order came from Ghana, for 100 pieces worth 8 million rand. This brought South Africa's total small arms sales in 2025 to approximately 230 million rand.

Ammunition constituted the majority of South African defense exports, totaling R4.8 billion last year. The largest single contract, valued at R3.3 billion, was for the supply of 73,586 shells to Germany. Another notable contract was for the supply of 35,000 shells to Turkey, valued at R676 million. Estonia acquired 18,540 shells worth R212 million, while Australia acquired 10,272 shells worth R279 million. Most of these exports are believed to have been produced by Rheinmetall Denel Munitions (RDM).

The second largest category of exports was electronic equipment, with alarm and warning systems worth R68 million sold to nine countries; measurement/communication equipment worth R985 million to 20 countries; and countermeasures/monitoring equipment worth R460 million to 18 countries.