South Africa imports most of its petroleum and crude oil from Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. In 2023, it imported $2.28-billion (46.1%) from Nigeria and $1.62-billion (32.7%) from Saudi Arabia, according to Harvard’s Atlas of Economic Complexity.

In June 2025, Saudi Arabia was exporting 7.2-million barrels of oil per day through the Strait of Hormuz. It is one of six major oil producers – alongside Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – that rely on Hormuz to ship oil, much of it destined for Asian markets.

The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s second-busiest oil transit chokepoint after the Strait of Malacca. In 2023, 20.9-million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products passed through Hormuz each day, compared to 23.7-million through Malacca.

Any blockade or disruption in the strait would likely push up global oil prices – and South Africans would feel it at the pump. Higher fuel costs would ripple through the economy, raising the transport prices, food, and other essentials.