Clothing, footwear, leather and textiles (CTFL) comprises the chain from synthetic and natural inputs to final clothing and shoes. The leather and textiles production are distinct, but both clothing and shoes now largely make use of synthetic inputs from the chemicals industry. Relatively few shoes today are made mostly from leather.

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Other subsector notes:

Basic chemicals

Beverages

Capital equipment

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

Transport equipment

Wood and paper

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.  

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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.