Abstract:
As Viet Nam continues to diversify its export markets and expand its external economic relations,
South Africa has emerged as one of Viet Nam's most important trading partners in Africa. Despite the
steady development of bilateral trade in recent years, existing studies have mainly focused on Viet
Nam - Africa trade in general or on specific aspects of economic cooperation, while comprehensive
research on Viet Nam - South Africa trade relations during the 2014 - 2024 period remains limited.
This study therefore aims to examine the development of Viet Nam - South Africa trade relations from
2014 to 2024, evaluate major achievements and existing constraints, and propose policy implications
to enhance bilateral trade cooperation. The study employs historical - logical analysis, descriptive
statistics, synthesis, and an interdisciplinary approach to examine trade trends, commodity structures,
and the key factors affecting bilateral trade. The findings indicate that Viet Nam - South Africa trade
experienced relatively stable growth during 2014 - 2019, declined due to the Covid-19 pandemic in
2020 - 2021, and recovered from 2022 onward. The commodity structure is highly complementary,
with Viet Nam mainly exporting manufactured products while importing minerals, metals, and
industrial raw materials from South Africa. However, bilateral trade remains below its potential
because of high logistics costs, geographical distance, technical barriers, and limited market
information. The study contributes to the existing literature by addressing the research gap on Viet
Nam-South Africa trade relations during 2014 - 2024 and providing policy recommendations to
strengthen bilateral economic cooperation in the context of global trade restructuring. |
