Between 1964 and 1970, 2/3 of all of South Africa's oil imports came from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Qatar.

In the 1970s, despite an embargo and generally cold relations, South Africa arms manufacturers sold numerous ground-to-air missile systems of the type of crotale to numerous Arab states including Saudi Arabia.

Numerous SA-manufactured weapons found their way to Saudi Arabia along with other goods such as timber and clothing.

South Africa would often trade gold bullion for Saudi oil rather than exchange money to avoid the embargo.

[2] In 2012, the fourth session of the South Africa-Saudi Arabia joint economic commission convened to increase total trade between the two countries to 60 billion rand.