Electronics and appliances refers principally to consumer equipment products. Electronics is also a core component for capital equipment as well as business services and communications. The industry covers SIC 37 (precision instruments, which includes information and communications technology, or ICT). It also includes parts of electric machinery (SIC 36), mostly some inputs to electronics, and machinery (SIC 35), which includes domestic and office machinery.

Download a copy or read online

Other subsector notes

Basic chemicals and petroleum refineries

Beverages

Capital equipment

Clothing, footwear, leather and textiles

Food processing

Furniture and manufacturing activities not elsewhere classified

Glass and non-metalic minerals

Metal and metal products

Other chemicals, rubber and plastics

Printing and publishing

Transport equipment

Wood and paper

The food processing industry comprises the production of final food products based mainly, although not exclusively, on agricultural inputs. The line between agriculture and food processing is not always entirely clear, however, although the formal definition of food processing excludes processing that takes place on the farm. The industry is highly diverse, with significantly different processes used in major subsectors, for instance maize milling, bakeries, meat and poultry processing and horticulture.

Download a copy or read online

Other subsector notes

Basic chemicals and petroleum refineries

Beverages

Capital equipment

Clothing, footwear, leather and textiles

Electronics and appliances

Furniture and manufacturing activities not elsewhere classified

Glass and non-metalic minerals

Metal and metal products

Other chemicals, rubber and plastics

Printing and publishing

Transport equipment

Wood and paper

In the standard statistical system, furniture is aggregated with a residual “not elsewhere classified” or “n.e.c.” category, which covers small and hard to classify activities, amongst others jewellery, musical instruments, toys, and recycling. Statistics South Africa aggregates furniture and n.e.c. manufacturing, but Quantec estimates separate the two. Furniture is only about a fifth of the furniture and n.e.c. category, according to Quantec estimates.

Download a copy or read online

Other subsector notes

Basic chemicals and petroleum refineries

Beverages

Capital equipment

Clothing, footwear, leather and textiles

Electronics and appliances

Food processing

Glass and non-metalic minerals

Metal and metal products

Other chemicals, rubber and plastics

Printing and publishing

Transport equipment

Wood and paper

The glass and non-metallic minerals industry includes both glass products and minerals such as cement, bricks, ceramics and similar products, which are used principally in the construction industry. Around two thirds of turnover is cement and most of the rest is glass. The industry excludes coal.

Download a copy or read online

Other subsector notes

Basic chemicals and petroleum refineries

Beverages

Capital equipment

Clothing, footwear, leather and textiles

Electronics and appliances

Food processing

Furniture and manufacturing activities not elsewhere classified

Metal and metal products

Other chemicals, rubber and plastics

Printing and publishing

Transport equipment

Wood and paper

Metals and metal products covers smelting, refining and shaping of base metals – that is, excluding gold and platinum. In South Africa, the industry consists primarily of iron and steel, a range of ferro-alloys, and aluminium products. It derives from local iron and ferroalloy mining and coal-fired electricity, except for aluminium, which utilises imported ores.

Download a copy or read online.

Other subsector notes

Basic chemicals and petroleum refineries

Beverages

Capital equipment

Clothing, footwear, leather and textiles

Electronics and appliances

Food processing

Furniture and manufacturing activities not elsewhere classified

Glass and non-metalic minerals

Other chemicals, rubber and plastics

Printing and publishing

Transport equipment

Wood and paper

Other chemicals refers to the chemicals industry excluding basic chemicals, petrochemicals and primary plastics. The other chemicals industry produces primarily pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, household chemicals of various kinds and paints.

Download a copy or read online

Other subsector notes

Basic chemicals and petroleum refineries

Beverages

Capital equipment

Clothing, footwear, leather and textiles

Electronics and appliances

Food processing

Furniture and manufacturing activities not elsewhere classified

Glass and non-metalic minerals

Metal and metal products

Printing and publishing

Transport equipment

Wood and paper

Printing and publishing includes the production of printed material, including recorded media. It excludes the associated services, however, such as advertising.

Download a copy or read online

Other subsector notes

Basic chemicals and petroleum refineries

Beverages

Capital equipment

Clothing, footwear, leather and textiles

Electronics and appliances

Food processing

Furniture and manufacturing activities not elsewhere classified

Glass and non-metalic minerals

Metal and metal products

Other chemicals, rubber and plastics

Transport equipment

Wood and paper

Transport equipment is dominated by auto production, but also includes rail, air and sea transport. It encompasses the assembly of final vehicles as well as the production of components.  

Download a copy or read online

Other subsector notes

Basic chemicals and petroleum refineries

Beverages

Capital equipment

Clothing, footwear, leather and textiles

Electronics and appliances

Food processing

Furniture and manufacturing activities not elsewhere classified

Glass and non-metalic minerals

Metal and metal products

Other chemicals, rubber and plastics

Printing and publishing

Wood and paper

The Manufacturing Circle Investment Tracker (MCIT) is a quarterly index tracking investment spending in the manufacturing sector. Findings for Q4 2017 are now available.  See MCIT Q4 2017. Or read online.

A green economy industry and trade analysis: Assessing South Africa’s potential

A global transition to sustainable development is under way as a response to multiple environmental crises, including the widespread impacts of climate change. South Africa has embraced the shift to a green economy to attain inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth and development. The desire to transition to a green economy has been declared at the highest political level, and the articulation of the green economy agenda is evident in the South African policy framework.

From a trade and industry perspective, the transition materialises through two complementary streams: the development of new, green industries and the greening of existing, traditional industries. Within this framework, this report focuses on the development of new trade opportunities for green industries in South Africa both for import substitution and for exports. The main objectives are to identify and assess economic sectors that offer trade opportunities from the perspective of green industrial development; inform a subsequent sector-specific assessment of opportunities at the green industry and trade nexus; and provide recommendations for policymakers on how to further harness the identified opportunities in key sectors.

The report is published as part of the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) – an initiative by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in partnership with the South African Government (the Department of Environmental Affairs, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Science and Technology, and the Economic Development Department).

The report was authored by TIPS, which led the research process, collected data, drafted the report, and managed stakeholder consultations. The research team comprised: Gaylor Montmasson-Clair (Senior Economist: Sustainable Growth), Christopher Wood (Economist), Shakespear Mudombi (Economist (Sustainable Growth) and Bhavna Deonarain (Researcher: sustainable Growth).

In addition to the Main Report, a four-page Overview is also available to download.

MEDIA

Let us dream of developing our productive capacity - Daily Maverick 21 June 2019 by Trudi Makhaya (Economic Adviser to President Cyril Ramaphosa)