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Insights Centre
Sectors · Manufacturing across SADC

Manufacturing in South Africa

Where factories cluster, which zones are filling up, what each country makes and where value addition is missing.

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Value added by manufacturing, 2024US$51.3bn14.2% of the economy · 1st largest of 16 in SADC
Real growth-1.3%a year over the last five years, at constant prices
Exports of the pillar's goods, 2024US$38.2bn+20% on five years earlier · 1st in SADC
Deals in the last 12 months829 tracked in South Africa in all

Manufacturing added US$51.3bn to South Africa's economy in 2024

Value added by manufacturing, the industries in the national accounts closest to manufacturing, US$, at the prices of each year and at constant 2020 prices (which show real growth)

0$20bn$40bn$60bn199019921994199619982000200220042006200820102012201420162018202020222024Prices of each yearUS$51.3bnConstant 2020 pricesUS$42.2bn
Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

South Africa has SADC's 1st largest manufacturing sector

Value added by manufacturing, US$, latest year, with its share of each economy

South AfricaUS$51.3bn14.2% of the economy
AngolaUS$8.9bn7.8% of the economy
ZimbabweUS$7.1bn16.5% of the economy
DRCUS$6.2bn8.8% of the economy
TanzaniaUS$5.9bn7.8% of the economy
ZambiaUS$2.3bn9.5% of the economy
MadagascarUS$2.1bn13.3% of the economy
MauritiusUS$1.7bn12.9% of the economy
MozambiqueUS$1.5bn7.3% of the economy
EswatiniUS$1.4bn31.2% of the economy
NamibiaUS$1.4bn11.7% of the economy
MalawiUS$1.4bn12.3% of the economy
BotswanaUS$1.1bn5.9% of the economy
LesothoUS$289m14.0% of the economy
ComorosUS$137m9.1% of the economy
SeychellesUS$90m4.9% of the economy
Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

Manufacturing, value added (US$): South Africa against SADC

Manufacturing, value added (US$), US$, latest year for each country. Click a bar for that country's manufacturing page.

$0$2bn$4bn$6bn$8bn$10bnSouth Africa$52.3bnAngola$8.3bnZimbabwe$7.6bnDRC$7.2bnTanzania$6.6bn (2023)Zambia$2.5bnMadagascar$2.3bn (2024)Mauritius$1.8bnNamibia$1.5bnEswatini$1.4bnMozambique$1.4bnMalawi$1.2bn (2024)Botswana$1.1bnLesotho$288.6m (2024)Comoros$130.1mSeychelles$129.1mAxis cut: longest bar not to scalemedian $1.7bn

Source: World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

South Africa's trade in manufacturing goods since 2012

Exports and imports of the products in this pillar's subsectors, each product counted once, US$

0$10bn$20bn$30bn$40bn2012201420162018202020222024ExportsUS$38.2bnImportsUS$31.0bn
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Subsectors

10 in this pillar

Food and beverages in South Africa

Tracks
Mills, breweries, bottlers, sugar mills, dairies and meat plants; plant openings; processed against raw food exports.
Signals ahead
Harvest size, plant expansions, import duties.

Select a figure for its trend. Source: CEPII BACI, dotzedw deals tracker.

Trade in detail

South Africa exported US$4.1bn and imported US$2.8bn of food and beverages in 2024; exports up 19% on five years earlier, 57.3% of what SADC sells abroad.

South Africa's main exports in this subsector, 2024

Wine (220421)US$457m
Sugar (170114)US$364m
Wine (220429)US$198m
Food preparations (210690)US$190m
Sauces and preparations therefor (210390)US$160m

South Africa's trade in food and beverages every year since 2012, by partner is part of the Individual plan

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Open these deals in the deals tracker

What South Africa sells abroad across manufacturing

South Africa's exports by subsector, 2024, US$, with its share of SADC's exports. A product can count in two subsectors.

Automotive and componentsUS$15.2bn98.9% of SADC · +24% on five years earlier
Metals, smelting and refiningUS$12.0bn23.1% of SADC · +24% on five years earlier
Food and beveragesUS$4.1bn57.3% of SADC · +19% on five years earlier
Packaging, plastics and paperUS$2.2bn83.5% of SADC · -1% on five years earlier
Chemicals and fertiliserUS$1.9bn48.7% of SADC · +7% on five years earlier
Textiles, clothing and footwearUS$1.5bn35.1% of SADC · +1% on five years earlier
Electrical goods, batteries and solarUS$574m65% of SADC · +40% on five years earlier
PharmaceuticalsUS$554m89.5% of SADC · +13% on five years earlier
Cement and building materialsUS$163m31.7% of SADC · +10% on five years earlier
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Who is moving

Open in the deals tracker

8 deals in the last 12 months involving South Africa, placed in subsectors by what they say.

Sources and method