The claim that South Africa imported fuel from the United Arab Emirates is CORRECT.

Reasoning:

• According to Trading Economics data, South Africa imported "Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products" from the UAE worth $2.16 billion in 2025¹.
• The OEC World data shows that refined petroleum was the top export from the UAE to South Africa in January 2026, valued at ZAR 2.28 billion².
• A Business Insider Africa article explicitly states that South Africa "relies heavily on fuel imports from India, Oman and the UAE"³.
• In 2024, the UAE exported $563.15 million worth of "Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products" to South Africa⁴.

Overall validity: 100%

1. South Africa Imports from United Arab Emirates - Trading Economics
2. United Arab Emirates (ARE) and South Africa (ZAF) Trade
3. African countries and their top fuel import origins
4. United Arab Emirates Exports to South Africa - Trading Economics