South Africa: Services, value added (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, South Africa's services, value added (current US$) rose 6.6% on 2024 (from US$252.69 billion to US$269.41 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +4.5% and a typical year strayed about 15.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 57.1% in 2003 and the biggest yearly fall was 24.8% in 1985. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 27% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, South Africa had the 30th highest value of the 158 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to South Africa in the 2025 ranking

• Philippines — 26th of 158: US$313.77 billion
• Norway — 27th of 158: US$292.17 billion
• Denmark — 28th of 158: US$289.82 billion
• Colombia — 30th of 158: US$267.61 billion
• Romania — 31st of 158: US$264.69 billion
• Malaysia — 32nd of 158: US$258.9 billion

What this measures

Services industries correspond to ISIC (Rev. 4) divisions 45-99 and includes wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, hotels and restaurants, transport, storage and communication, financial intermediation, real estate, renting and business activities, public administration and defence, compulsory social security, education, health and social work, other community, social and personal service activities, private households with employed persons, and extra-territorial organizations and bodies. Value added is the contribution to the economy by a producer or an industry or an institutional sector, which is estimated by the total value of output produced and deducting the total value of intermediate consumption of goods and services used to produce that output. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.

All 66 values

Services, value added (current US$) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$57.21 billion (2025)
• Benin — US$12.3 billion (2025)
• Botswana — US$12.88 billion (2025)
• Burkina Faso — US$11.47 billion (2025)
• Burundi — US$1.42 billion (2025)
• Cabo Verde — US$2.08 billion (2025)
• Cameroon — US$29.68 billion (2025)
• Central African Republic — US$1.27 billion (2025)
• Chad — US$7.28 billion (2025)
• Comoros — US$885.92 million (2025)
• Congo, Dem. Rep.

More economic policy & debt data for South Africa

• Trade in services (% of GDP) — 9.32% (2025)
• Communications, computer, etc. (% of service imports, BoP) — 44.9% (2025)
• Primary income payments (BoP, current US$) — US$20.32 billion (2025)
• Imports of goods and services (current US$, BoP) — US$126.24 billion (2025)
• Insurance and financial services (% of service imports, BoP) — 5.58% (2025)
• Goods imports (current US$, BoP) — US$104.47 billion (2025)
• Service imports (current US$, BoP) — US$21.77 billion (2025)
• Charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) — US$1.74 billion (2025)
• Imports of goods, services and primary income (current US$, BoP)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is South Africa's services, value added (current US$)?

US$269.41 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 5,585% from US$4.74 billion in 1960 (6.41% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$294.82 billion in 2011 and the lowest US$4.74 billion in 1960.

How does South Africa rank?

30th highest of 158 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in services, value added (current US$) unusual for South Africa?

In 2025, South Africa's services, value added (current US$) rose 6.6% on 2024 (from US$252.69 billion to US$269.41 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +4.5% and a typical year strayed about 15.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NV.SRV.TOTL.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs); National Accounts data files, Central Banks; Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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