Johannesburg is South Africa's deepest scrap market, but prices sit below world parity because the price preference system makes dealers offer material to local mills at a discount before any export. Copper carries strict origin checks; expect ID, records and non-cash payment for regulated grades.
Scrap metal prices per kg in Johannesburg
| 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 Johannesburg. 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.
Johannesburg scrap price chart (ZAR)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in ZAR, the same series Johannesburg 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 Johannesburg
Gauteng is where South African scrap concentrates: Johannesburg's yards, the East Rand's processors and the mills and foundries around them form the country's industrial core. Rand prices follow the LME, then give up the discount required by the price preference system, which forces export-bound scrap to be offered locally first at below export parity.
Cable theft has shaped the trade's rules more than any price move. Copper with any hint of infrastructure origin triggers real scrutiny, and the serious buyers document everything. Legitimate sellers lose nothing by it except time, and gain a market where the licensed yards are the ones still standing.
- Province
- Gauteng, South Africa
- Quoted in
- ZAR per kg (non-ferrous), per tonne (ferrous)
- Yards cluster in
- Booysens, Germiston, Benoni, Boksburg
- Demand from
- Gauteng mills and foundries under the price preference system
Where the scrap yards are in Johannesburg
- Booysens and the south: the city's traditional merchant belt.
- Germiston and the East Rand: processors and the heaviest buyers.
- Benoni and Boksburg: mixed yards serving industry.
- Randburg and the north: retail yards for smaller loads.
What pays well in Johannesburg
- Millberry and bright copper with clean provenance.
- Stainless and alloys from mining and process equipment.
- Prepared heavy steel for the Gauteng mills.
Selling scrap metal in Johannesburg: rules, ID and payment
The Second-Hand Goods Act requires registered dealers to record the seller's identity and the goods, hold material for inspection periods, and avoid cash on regulated metals; copper cable needs proof of origin everywhere. Export permits and the price preference discount are the dealer's problem, but they set the ceiling on what you are paid.
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.
Johannesburg scrap price FAQ
What is the scrap copper price in Johannesburg today?
As of the latest update, the indicative price for clean number 1 copper is about R 173.74 per kg in ZAR. Johannesburg 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.
Why are South African scrap prices below world prices?
The price preference system requires dealers to offer scrap to domestic consumers at a discount to export parity before exporting, and permits and duties sit on top. The mills' protected price becomes the ceiling, so Johannesburg quotes track the LME in rand minus that structural discount.
Where can I sell scrap metal in Johannesburg?
Booysens and the southern belt for the widest choice, Germiston and the East Rand for volume and heavy loads, and the northern suburbs for small lots. Registered dealers only, with ID; for copper, bring whatever shows where it came from and the sale goes smoothly.
Are Johannesburg prices different from the national board?
The board on this page is the South Africa indicative level, and Johannesburg 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 Johannesburg 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 Johannesburg vary by grade, volume, condition and buyer.
Nearby and related
Scrap metal prices in South Africa · All countries · Catalytic converter prices