Durban is South Africa's busiest port, so its scrap prices feel export policy first: when permits flow, harbour-side buyers firm the bids, and when they tighten, the discount to world prices widens. Yards cluster in Jacobs, Mobeni and Pinetown; the national ID and record rules apply.
Scrap metal prices per kg in Durban
| Scrap type | Price (ZAR) | Change | Global reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous (per kg) | |||
| Copper Scrap | R 173.74 / kg | ▲ +1.22% | $5.81 / lb |
| Aluminum Scrap | R 26.02 / kg | ▲ +1.16% | $0.87 / lb |
| Brass Scrap | R 105.86 / kg | ▲ +1.14% | $3.54 / lb |
| Stainless Steel Scrap | R 17.04 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.57 / lb |
| Lead Scrap | R 17.64 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.59 / lb |
| Zinc Scrap | R 26.91 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.90 / lb |
| Battery Scrap | R 6.88 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.23 / lb |
| Radiator Scrap | R 99.88 / kg | ▲ +1.21% | $3.34 / lb |
| Wire Scrap | R 84.03 / kg | ▲ +1.44% | $2.81 / lb |
| Cable Scrap | R 55.92 / kg | ▲ +1.08% | $1.87 / lb |
| Electronic Scrap | R 23.92 / kg | ▲ +1.27% | $0.80 / lb |
| Ferrous and bulk (per tonne) | |||
| Steel Scrap | R 4,485 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $300 / ton |
| Iron Scrap | R 3,947 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $264 / ton |
| Car Scrap | R 5,383 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $360 / ton |
| Cast Iron | R 4,306 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $288 / ton |
Indicative dealer prices for clean, sorted scrap in South Africa, shown here for Durban. Individual yards quote around this level by grade, volume and condition; the derivation from exchange benchmarks and the exchange rate (1 USD = 15.96 ZAR) is described in the methodology section below.
Durban scrap price chart (ZAR)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in ZAR, the same series Durban yards price against. Scroll to zoom and drag to move along the timeline.
Price history could not be loaded.
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The scrap market in Durban
Durban's trade is built around the harbour. The Jacobs and Mobeni industrial belt south of the port holds the yards and processors, Pinetown adds an inland ring, and containerised non-ferrous leaves through the terminals whenever permits and the price preference obligations have been met.
Humidity is the practical enemy here: wet loads take moisture deductions, and steel rusts fast in the sea air, so covered storage and quick turnaround pay. Aluminium, cable and mixed industrial scrap from the province's manufacturing base make up the bulk of supply.
- Province
- KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Quoted in
- ZAR per kg (non-ferrous), per tonne (ferrous)
- Yards cluster in
- Jacobs, Mobeni, Pinetown, Isipingo
- Demand from
- Port exports when permitted, KZN industry
Where the scrap yards are in Durban
- Jacobs and Mobeni: the harbour-side industrial belt with the main buyers.
- Pinetown and New Germany: the inland processing ring.
- Springfield and the north: mixed retail yards.
- Isipingo and the south coast road: heavy and auto scrap.
What pays well in Durban
- Container-grade aluminium and copper when export demand is open.
- Cable and motors from industry, priced on recovery.
- Prepared steel for the KZN mills and foundries.
Selling scrap metal in Durban: rules, ID and payment
The Second-Hand Goods Act rules apply: registered dealers, recorded ID, holding periods and traceable payment for regulated metals, with strict origin checks on cable. Exporters handle the permits and the price preference offers; sellers just need clean paperwork and, ideally, dry material.
Before any sale, check the live board above, sort by grade and get quotes from two or three buyers; the best scrap price guide covers the routine and the calculator turns a weight into a figure at today's price. To judge whether a local quote is competitive, our note on telling a well-paying yard from a headline rate sets out the benchmark test.
Durban scrap price FAQ
What is the scrap copper price in Durban today?
As of the latest update, the indicative price for clean number 1 copper is about R 173.74 per kg in ZAR. Durban yards typically quote within a few percent of that figure either side, depending on grade, volume and the buyer; the live board above shows all fifteen grades.
Where can I sell scrap metal in Durban?
The Jacobs and Mobeni belt south of the harbour has the main buyers and the shortest route to the terminals, Pinetown covers the inland side, and Springfield the north. On export grades, the harbour-side yards move first when permits open.
Why did my load take a moisture deduction in Durban?
The coastal climate. Rain-soaked or dew-heavy loads carry water the yard cannot sell, so a percentage comes off the weight, and rusty light steel grades down. Covered storage and selling within days of collection avoid most of it.
Are Durban prices different from the national board?
The board on this page is the South Africa indicative level, and Durban yards trade around it rather than exactly on it. Local competition, freight to the nearest consumer and the day's export demand set the spread, which is why two quotes in the same city can differ by several percent on the same morning.
Sources and methodology
The Durban board uses the South Africa indicative prices: global exchange benchmarks (COMEX copper, CME aluminum and steel, NYMEX platinum and palladium, IMF monthly lead, zinc and nickel) multiplied by typical yard recovery shares, a local market factor of 0.85 and the day's exchange rate. The full method, the recovery shares and the correction policy are on our editorial policy page; local notes on this page are reviewed against published dealer information and reader corrections sent to info@scrappricetoday.com.
Prices are indicative and for information only; they are not offers to buy or sell. Yard quotes in Durban vary by grade, volume, condition and buyer.
Nearby and related
Scrap metal prices in South Africa · All countries · Catalytic converter prices