South Africa has moved into a larger role in Israel’s coal supply chain following Colombia’s decision to halt exports of the fuel earlier this year.
Trade and shipping records from multiple commodity tracking firms show that Colombian coal deliveries to Israel stopped entirely after August.
In the same window, South African producers increased shipments, absorbing demand that had previously been met by Latin American suppliers.
Between September and November, South Africa sent close to half a million metric tons of thermal coal to Israel—an increase of nearly double compared to the same period last year. Additional cargoes scheduled for December point to a continued rise.
Customs data from South Africa indicates that total coal exports to Israel during the three months ending October reached their highest level in more than seven years.
This is not a short-term adjustment. It reflects a reallocation of supply.
Colombia’s withdrawal followed a presidential decree banning coal exports to Israel, issued after Bogotá accused the Israeli government of mass civilian killings in Gaza.
South Africa has taken a similarly confrontational stance at the diplomatic level, bringing a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice—an allegation Israel has denied.
The divergence lies in execution.
Colombia translated political condemnation into trade policy. South Africa did not.
As Colombian shipments dropped to zero, South African coal filled the gap. Market data indicates that every seaborne coal cargo Israel received from September onward originated from South Africa. Analysts tracking the trade say more than a dozen South African exporters have supplied electricity-grade coal to Israel since last year.
Patrick Bond, who directs the Centre for Social Change at the University of Johannesburg and monitors South Africa’s coal trade, describes the situation as a contradiction between stated values and commercial behavior. His assessment is simple: public opposition has not altered export decisions.
Government responses reinforce that interpretation. South Africa’s mining authorities declined to comment on the export increase. The country’s trade ministry has previously argued that restricting exports to Israel could expose South Africa to disputes under World Trade Organization rules.
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Colombia, despite being subject to the same multilateral framework, has not faced a formal challenge since enforcing its ban.
The result is structural rather than symbolic.
Coal markets respond to availability, legal clarity, and shipping access—not political language. When one supplier exits, another steps in. Over the past four years, South Africa has steadily increased its presence in Israel’s coal imports.
Current projections suggest that next year’s export volumes will be the highest since 2017, with South Africa on track to command more than half of Israel’s seaborne coal supply.
This episode illustrates a core reality of global energy trade: positions taken in courtrooms and press briefings do not automatically translate into changes at ports and loading terminals.
When supply chains shift, they do so because someone leaves—and someone else is ready to sell.
By Thuita Gatero, Managing Editor, Africa Digest News. He specializes in conversations around data centers, AI, cloud infrastructure, and energy.
