South Africa is the only major CBAM-affected exporter with an existing carbon tax — making it the strongest Art. 9 deduction candidate in Africa.
South Africa exports flat-rolled steel products, chrome alloy steel, and primary aluminium ingots to EU markets. AMSA (ArcelorMittal South Africa) and Hulamin are the principal CBAM-relevant producers. South Africa's steel default (4.03 tCO₂e/t semi-finished, BF-BOF route) and aluminium default (2.36 tCO₂e/t primary) reflect coal-intensive power and production.
Source: IR (EU) 2026/1740 Annex I, which replaced the Annex I of IR (EU) 2025/2621 from 1 January 2026 · Default = the published total-emissions value · Net cost adds the Annex I mark-up once — 10% in 2026 and 30% from 2028 for cement, iron and steel, aluminium and hydrogen, 1% for fertilisers · Used when verified actual data is not provided
| Product | Sector | Default tCO₂e/t | Net cost 2026 €/t | Net cost 2030 €/t |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Grey Portland cement CN 25232900 | Cement | 1.4400 | €116.26 | €72.58 |
Anhydrous ammonia CN 28141000 | Fertilisers | 3.6400 | €269.84 | €142.53 |
Urea (solid) CN 31021019 | Fertilisers | 2.3600 | €174.95 | €92.41 |
Ammonium nitrate CN 31023090 | Fertilisers | 2.4900 | €184.59 | €97.50 |
Steel semi-finished (BF-BOF) CN 72071114 | Iron & Steel | 4.0300 | €325.37 | €203.11 |
Unwrought aluminium CN 7601 | Aluminium | 2.3584 | €190.42 | €118.87 |
Hydrogen CN 28041000 | Hydrogen | 25.9400 | €2094.34 | €1307.37 |
Net cost = default tCO₂e/t × €75.28 (Q2 2026, official price of CBAM certificates) × CBAM phase-in factor (2.5% in 2026, 48.5% in 2030). Actual liability depends on verified embedded emissions and SEFA benchmark deduction. Values shown are for illustrative default scenario only.
Carbon pricing in South Africa: South Africa introduced a carbon tax in June 2019 — one of Africa's first legally binding carbon pricing mechanisms. The tax applies to iron & steel and aluminium production, with rates increasing annually.
South Africa's Carbon Tax Act has imposed a legally binding price since June 2019, and the headline rate rose to R308/tCO₂e on 1 January 2026. This is the clearest case on the site of a price effectively paid — but 60–95 % tax-free allowances remain in place to 2030, and Article 9 takes any rebate or allowance off first, so what is left to deduct is a fraction of the headline. Keep documentation of the tax actually paid per tonne of embedded emissions, certified by someone independent of both you and the authorities, for your buyer's declarant to use.
Our reading of South Africa's own published measures as at September 2026, not an EU-published value — third-country carbon policy changes without warning. Confirm the current position with advisers in the country of production before pricing anything on it.
South African producers hold something no other African exporter does: records of a carbon price actually paid. Article 9 asks for exactly that, certified by a person independent of both the declarant and the authorities — so the work is assembling the evidence, not waiting for anyone to approve the scheme. Net of the 60-95 % tax-free allowances the deductible amount is small, which makes the second half the larger prize: actual emissions for efficient producers sit well below the high default values.
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Book a demoDefault values sourced from IR (EU) 2026/1740 Annex I (European Commission). Net costs are illustrative — actual liability depends on verified embedded emissions, SEFA benchmark deduction, and the applicable CBAM phase-in factor. Not legal or compliance advice.
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