Caustic Soda Supplier South Africa — Durban & Cape Town
for Distributors, Importers and Mines
As a caustic soda supplier South Africa buyers contract with directly, SUHA International Trading exports sodium hydroxide flakes NaOH 98% and 99% and pearls 99% in 25 kg bags, plus liquid caustic soda in ISO tanks, from Jebel Ali (UAE) and Mersin (Türkiye). Containers reach Durban in about 16–21 days, with the batch COA, safety data sheet and Class 8 documents your clearing agent needs.
- Loading origins
- Jebel Ali (AE) · Mersin (TR)
- Incoterms
- FOB · CFR · CIF · DAP
- Packing
- 25 kg PP bags · 1 MT FIBC
- Payment
- L/C at sight · T/T · D/P
- HS / CAS
- 2815.11 · 1310-73-2
- Dangerous goods
- UN 1823 · Class 8
- 2 originsJebel Ali · Mersin
- 16–21 dJebel Ali to Durban
- 1 FCLMinimum order
- 24 hQuotation turnaround
Caustic soda supplier South Africa: who supplies NaOH, and where imports fit
SUHA International Trading exports caustic soda (sodium hydroxide, NaOH) to South Africa from offices in Dubai and Ankara. We ship flakes 98% and 99% and pearls 99% in 25 kg bags or jumbo bags, and liquid caustic soda 30–50% in ISO tanks, to Durban, Cape Town and the Eastern Cape ports on FOB, CFR, CIF or DAP terms.
Local production and imports. South Africa makes its own caustic soda: NCP Chlorchem has run a chlor-alkali plant at Chloorkop, Kempton Park since 1942, and Sasol sells diaphragm-cell caustic soda solution at 47–51.5% NaOH. Local output is sold mainly as lye. Solid flakes and pearls in 25 kg bags — for distributors, repackers, mines and plants far from a lye terminal — are where an import caustic soda supplier South Africa buyers can contract with by the container fits best.
Grade + tonnage + port + Incoterm → firm quotation within 24 hoursCaustic soda supplier South Africa for distributors, importers, mines and manufacturers
Bulk and wholesale caustic soda buyers in South Africa work with us in different ways. Choose your role to see what we arrange for you.
Chemical distributors, wholesalers and repackers
Bagged solid caustic soda that moves off the shelf, with consistent bags and regular arrivals.
- 25 kg PP woven bags with PE liner, palletised and shrink-wrapped for forklift unloading
- Pearls for clean repacking into 1–5 kg retail packs; flakes for industrial resale
- Neutral packing or your own private label on request
- Flakes and pearls in one container, and a shipment calendar for repeat orders
Importers and clearing agents
You hold the SARS Customs importer registration; we make sure every document matches your declaration.
- Proforma and commercial invoice with HS 2815.11 or 2815.12
- Documents in the name of the importer of record: invoice, packing list, B/L, certificate of origin, COA, SDS, DG declaration
- L/C at sight, T/T or D/P
- CIF Durban or Cape Town, or FOB if your forwarder books the freight
Gold, platinum and base-metal mines
Reagent supply that arrives on schedule and to specification, for sites far from a lye terminal.
- Flakes 98% or pearls 99% in 1 MT jumbo bags for reagent make-up, or 25 kg bags for smaller circuits
- Low chloride on the TDS — relevant to carbon elution and stainless-steel equipment
- Quarterly or annual supply contracts with a fixed specification
- Grades and uses explained in caustic soda in mining
Manufacturers and end users
Plants that run caustic soda every day need the same specification every time.
- Specification fixed in the contract, checked against the COA of every batch
- SGS, Bureau Veritas or Cotecna inspection before the container is sealed
- A second source alongside local lye supply, to cover outages and price swings
- Technical data sheets and the MSDS for your SHEQ file — see the TDS analysis
Traders and re-export to SADC neighbours
Durban is the transit port for Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini, and a route to Zambia.
Caustic soda uses in South Africa, and which NaOH grade to buy
Each card names the job caustic soda does, the grade that suits it, and the parameter on the technical data sheet that matters most for that use. Gold chips are the usual choice; grey chips also work.
Mining and minerals
Strips gold from activated carbon in the elution circuit together with cyanide, holds pH in leach and flotation circuits, and neutralises acid mine drainage and process effluent at gold, platinum and base-metal operations.
TDS parameter to watch: NaCl and Na₂CO₃ — chloride and carbonate affect elution efficiency and reagent strength.
Water treatment
Raises pH after coagulation at municipal works, controls corrosion in distribution mains, precipitates heavy metals from industrial effluent and regenerates ion-exchange resins.
TDS parameter to watch: Heavy metals and Fe — treated water must stay within drinking-water limits.
Pulp and paper
Part of the white liquor that cooks wood chips in South Africa’s kraft pulp mills, the alkaline extraction stage of bleaching, and de-inking of recycled fibre.
TDS parameter to watch: Na₂CO₃ and NaCl — they lower active alkali and add chloride to the recovery cycle.
Soap and detergent
Saponifies tallow and vegetable oils into bar and laundry soap, and neutralises LABSA into detergent paste. See also LABSA.
TDS parameter to watch: Fe and NaCl — iron discolours white soap, excess salt changes texture.
Sugar milling
Cleans and descales evaporators and heat exchangers between crushing campaigns at KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga sugar mills, and adjusts juice pH.
TDS parameter to watch: Fe and insolubles — residue on heat-transfer surfaces.
Chemical manufacturing
Feedstock for sodium hypochlorite, sodium silicate and other sodium salts, and a neutralising agent across the chemical industry. See also sodium hypochlorite.
TDS parameter to watch: Fe and other metals — they shorten hypochlorite shelf life.
Food and beverage
Bottle washing in breweries and soft-drink plants, clean-in-place of dairy and juice lines, and peeling of fruit and vegetables for canning.
TDS parameter to watch: Heavy metals — food-contact use needs a food-grade certificate; ask for it with the quote.
Fuels and petrochemicals
Caustic washing removes hydrogen sulphide, mercaptans and acids from fuels and LPG, and treats spent process streams. See also caustic soda in the petroleum industry.
TDS parameter to watch: NaCl — chloride drives corrosion in refinery units.
Metal finishing
Hot alkaline degreasing before plating or painting, aluminium etching before anodising, and paint stripping.
TDS parameter to watch: Na₂CO₃ — it reduces bath strength over time.
Textiles
Scouring removes waxes and pectins from cotton; mercerising under tension adds strength, lustre and dye uptake.
TDS parameter to watch: Fe — iron leaves rust spots on fabric.
Agriculture
Equipment and dairy sanitation, pH adjustment and blending of agricultural chemicals.
TDS parameter to watch: Heavy metals — for anything near feed or produce.
Cleaning products
Industrial, institutional and household cleaners, oven and drain cleaners — often repacked by distributors from 25 kg bags into 1–5 kg retail packs. See also safe storage and handling.
TDS parameter to watch: Dust and flowability — pearls repack cleanly.
Caustic soda flakes and pearls for South Africa: TDS analysis
Our two technical data sheets, read line by line from a buyer’s point of view. The flakes sheet reports test results for a production batch; the pearls sheet states specification limits. Your shipment’s own COA is the binding document.
Caustic soda flakes
Solid NaOH · batch test results| Parameter | TDS result | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| NaOH (assay) | 98 ±1 % w/w | The active alkali. Contract on 98.0% minimum and check it on every batch COA. |
| Sodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃ | 0.43 % w/w | Forms when NaOH meets air; a low figure shows fresh, well-sealed product. |
| Sodium chloride, NaCl | 0.0085 % w/w (85 ppm) | Very low chloride, typical of membrane-process caustic — matters for boilers, stainless steel and elution circuits. |
| Iron, Fe | 10 ppm | Low iron prevents discolouration in white soap, textiles and bleach. |
| Sodium sulphate, Na₂SO₄ | 0.0047 % w/w | Trace level; no effect in normal industrial use. |
| Silica, SiO₂ | 0.0019 % w/w | Trace level; relevant to boiler-water users. |
| Alumina, Al₂O₃ | 3 ppm max | Trace level. |
| Heavy metals as Pb | 2 ppm max | Low heavy metals support water-treatment and food-contact applications. |
| Water-insoluble matter | 0 % w/w | No residue to block dosing lines or filters. |
- Chloride at 85 ppm and iron at 10 ppm put these flakes in the low-impurity class buyers ask for in mining, textiles and bleach making.
- Zero insolubles and trace silica, alumina and heavy metals suit dosing systems and water treatment.
- Order on a 98.0% minimum assay and check it on the batch COA.
Caustic soda pearls
Solid NaOH · specification limits| Parameter | TDS value | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| NaOH (purity) | 99.0 % min | Higher assay than flakes; less material per tonne of active NaOH. |
| Sodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃ | 0.8 % max | Specification ceiling; the batch COA shows the actual figure. |
| Sodium chloride, NaCl | 0.05 % max | Low-chloride grade suitable for most process and treatment uses. |
| Iron oxide, Fe₂O₃ | 50 ppm max | Iron ceiling for colour-sensitive uses. |
| Density at 20 °C | 2.13 g/cm³ | Standard for solid NaOH; free-flowing beads fill bags and hoppers evenly. |
| Dissolution, 100 g in 100 ml water at 25 °C | 22 seconds | Fast dissolution — the main reason to choose pearls for automated make-up. |
| Melting point | 320–325 °C | Pure NaOH melts at about 318 °C; relevant only to fused-caustic users. |
- 99.0% minimum assay with chloride capped at 0.05% — a high-purity grade.
- Dissolves in about 22 seconds under the stated test, which is why pearls suit automated make-up and dosing.
- Free-flowing beads raise little dust, an advantage in food, water and repacking operations.
| Packing | With pallets | Without pallets |
|---|---|---|
| 25 kg PP bags | 25 MT | 28 MT |
| 1,000 kg jumbo bags | 20 MT | 20 MT |
| 1,200 kg jumbo bags | 24 MT | 24 MT |
Container payload is limited by weight, and South African road limits for container trucks can sit below the container maximum — tell us the inland destination and we load to suit it.
Main ports and corridors for caustic soda imports into South Africa
Most containers for South Africa load at Jebel Ali and discharge at Durban, the country’s busiest container port — its container terminal handled about 2.65 million TEU in 2024 — and the gateway to Gauteng. Cape Town, Ngqura and Maputo in Mozambique cover the other industrial regions.
| Port | Role for caustic soda imports | Hinterland and industries | Inland corridor | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durban | Main entry port — the busiest container hub in Southern Africa | KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State; sugar, pulp, chemicals, mining supply | N3 road and rail to Gauteng (City Deep) | 16–21 days from Jebel Ali |
| Maputo (Mozambique) | Alternative gateway for the north-east | Mpumalanga and eastern Gauteng; coal belt, Secunda, pulp | Maputo Development Corridor, N4 | 14–19 days from Jebel Ali |
| Cape Town | Second-largest entry for the south-west | Western and Northern Cape; food, beverage, water treatment | N1 / N7 | on request |
| Ngqura / Gqeberha | Eastern Cape entry | Coega SEZ, automotive and manufacturing | N2 | on request |
| Richards Bay | Industrial port, fewer container calls | Northern KwaZulu-Natal; pulp, aluminium, heavy industry | N2 to Durban | on request |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Import corridors: how caustic soda reaches the plants
N3 corridor — Durban to Gauteng
The country’s main import artery. Containers move about 570 km from Durban by road on the N3 or by rail to inland terminals such as City Deep in Johannesburg. Most bagged caustic soda for Gauteng’s chemical, cleaning and manufacturing industry travels this way; a proposed inland Port of Gauteng is planned to take a third of the trucks off the N3.
Maputo Development Corridor — N4 to Mpumalanga
Maputo in Mozambique is the closest port to Mpumalanga and eastern Gauteng and is expanding its container capacity from 170,000 to 530,000 TEU. For coal-belt, pulp and petrochemical users around Secunda, Witbank and Nelspruit it can shorten the inland leg. See caustic soda supplier Africa.
Richards Bay — northern KwaZulu-Natal
The industrial port for Mondi’s Richards Bay pulp mill, aluminium smelting and heavy industry. Container calls are fewer than at Durban, so we quote Richards Bay on request or deliver from Durban by road.
Eastern and Western Cape
Ngqura and Gqeberha serve the Coega SEZ and the Eastern Cape’s automotive and manufacturing base; Cape Town serves Western Cape food, beverage and water-treatment users. Both are direct sea alternatives to trucking from Durban.
North–South corridor — to Zimbabwe and Zambia
From Durban by road through Beitbridge to Zimbabwe and on to the Zambian copper belt. See Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Mining belts — North West, Limpopo, Northern Cape
Platinum operations around Rustenburg and the Bushveld, and gold and base-metal mines further afield, are reached by road from Durban or from Gauteng distribution hubs, usually as DAP deliveries.
Where caustic soda demand is concentrated
| Region | Main caustic soda users | Best entry port |
|---|---|---|
| Gauteng | Chemical, detergent and cleaning-product makers, metal finishing, water utilities, distributors | Durban → N3 |
| KwaZulu-Natal | Sugar mills, Sappi Saiccor and Mondi pulp mills, chemicals, textiles | Durban / Richards Bay |
| Mpumalanga | Secunda petrochemicals, Ngodwana pulp mill, coal and mining effluent treatment | Maputo or Durban |
| North West and Limpopo | Platinum and chrome mining around Rustenburg and the Bushveld complex | Durban → road |
| Western Cape | Food and beverage, wine and fruit processing, municipal water | Cape Town |
| Eastern Cape | Automotive and manufacturing, Coega SEZ | Ngqura / Gqeberha |
Freight advisory — Jebel Ali lanes, October 2026
Jebel Ali lies inside the Strait of Hormuz, where commercial traffic has been sharply reduced since 28 February 2026 and attacks escalated in October. Freight from Jebel Ali to Durban is re-checked on every quotation and can carry a war-risk surcharge; Mersin is available as an alternative origin.
Trade terms from your caustic soda supplier South Africa desk
- Products
- Flakes 98% · 99% · pearls 99% · liquid 30–50%
- Minimum order
- 1 FCL, 20ft or 40ft
- Packing
- 25 kg PP + PE liner · 1 MT FIBC · ISO tank
- Incoterms
- FOB · CFR · CIF · DAP
- Payment
- L/C at sight · T/T · D/P
- Inspection
- SGS · Bureau Veritas · Cotecna
- Documents
- COA · SDS · CO · B/L · DGD
- Quotation
- Firm within 24 hours, valid 7 days
- Prices
- Caustic soda price today
Handling
- Goggles or face shield, alkali-resistant gloves and protective clothing
- Always add caustic to water, never water to caustic — dissolving releases heat
- Eyewash and safety shower near the dissolving point
Storage
- Bags sealed, dry and off the floor on pallets in a ventilated store
- Away from acids, water and aluminium, zinc or tin
- First in, first out — moisture and CO₂ slowly raise carbonate; about two years’ shelf life sealed
Full guidance: how to store caustic soda safely and how to check caustic soda quality.
How to order bulk caustic soda for South Africa: six lines, one firm quotation
Caustic soda supplier South Africa — FAQ
References
- Local production — NCP Chlorchem, about the company; Sasol, caustic soda (diaphragm cell)
- Ports and corridors — Freight News, Durban and Maputo container capacity, June 2025; Bloomberg, inland Port of Gauteng and the N3, October 2025
- Shipping disruption — gCaptain, six ships struck near Hormuz, 11 October 2026
- Substance identifiers — PubChem CID 14798; dangerous goods — IMO IMDG Code
Published by the SUHA International Trading export desk, Dubai and Ankara. Reviewed .
Caustic soda prices, products and neighbouring African markets
Prices
Products
Related chemicals
Neighbouring markets
Need a caustic soda supplier South Africa can rely on? Send the port and the grade.
Grade, tonnage, Durban or Cape Town, and your Incoterm — a firm quotation comes back within one business day, with the full Class 8 document set prepared for your clearing agent.