Tradle #103 Answer & Hints — September 24, 2022
Stuck on the September 24, 2022 Tradle? Climb the hint ladder first — the full answer and a data breakdown of its export fingerprint are one click below.
Hint 1 — Continent
This country is in Africa.
Hint 2 — First letter
Its name starts with S.
Hint 3 — Top export
Its biggest export category is Precious stones, metals, & pearls (total exports $156.6B).
▓▓ Click to reveal the Tradle #103 answer ▓▓
01Why South Africa? The Export Fingerprint
South Africa's chart is led by Precious stones, metals, & pearls at 33%, but the supporting blocks matter just as much — the combination is what makes this fingerprint readable.
| # | Export category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Precious stones, metals, & pearls | $50.9B | 32.5% |
| 2 | Ores, Slag and Ash | $20.8B | 13.3% |
| 3 | Cars, tractors, trucks & parts thereof. | $16.6B | 10.6% |
| 4 | Mineral Fuels, Oils, Waxes, and its Distillated Derivatives | $13.3B | 8.5% |
| 5 | Iron & steel | $7.7B | 4.9% |
Total exports: $156.6B (BACI, 2023 trade flows). The treemap you played is drawn from exactly these numbers.
Together the top five categories cover 70% of South Africa's export basket — the rest of the chart splinters into the small mosaic blocks along the edge. In Tradle terms: the skill was recognizing the big blocks, not memorizing the fringe.
02How to Solve It
Start from geography rather than a single product. Anchor with a central country in Africa, then use the arrow and the mid-sized blocks — Ores, Slag and Ash is the tiebreaker between lookalike neighbors.
If you used the hint ladder above, the ideal exit was Hint 1 — geography narrows this one faster than products do. Every 1% of proximity equals roughly 200 km, so read your percentage as a radius, not a verdict.
The general method — anchor guess, arrow, proximity math — is covered in our how to play Tradle guide, and the signature-exports cheat sheet lives in the strategy section.
03South Africa in Tradle History
This was the 2nd time South Africa appeared as a Tradle answer — it has come up 3 times in total:
- Sep 12, 2022
- Sep 24, 2022 (this puzzle)
- May 7, 2023
Repeats are part of the game — learn this fingerprint now and the next appearance is a free win. Browse the full Tradle answers archive for more patterns.
04Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Tradle answer on September 24, 2022?
South Africa — puzzle #103, recognizable by Precious stones, metals, & pearls at 33% of its export treemap.
What number is this puzzle?
#103, counted from the first Tradle on June 14, 2022. One puzzle is released per UTC day, worldwide.
Can I still play this puzzle?
The official daily has moved on, but you can practice this country and 225 others anytime in Tradle Unlimited — free, no signup.
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