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.

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)

Wood and paper refers to the processing of wood, including milling and pulping as well as production of final products such as plywood, furniture and paper. Printing and publishing are dealt with separately because they differ substantially from the wood and paper sections of the value chain.

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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

Transport equipment

Main Bulletin: The Real Economy Bulletin - Fourth Quarter 2017

In this edition

GDP growth: South Africa’s GDP grew by 0,8% in the fourth quarter of 2017, representing a 1,9% increase from the fourth quarter of 2016. Compared to the previous two years, it signalled three quarters of relatively strong growth. Read more.

Employment: Employment in the real economy was lower in the fourth quarter of 2017 than a year earlier. The job losses occurred in agriculture and construction; manufacturing saw a modest increase in employment; and mining employment remained essentially unchanged. Most of the growth in manufacturing resulted from job creation in food processing and beverages. Read more.

International trade: In 2017, export growth outpaced imports, largely due to a jump in exports of manganese and chrome. As a result, for the past three quarters South Africa has seen a surplus on the balance of trade. In manufacturing, the fastest growth from the fourth quarter of 2016 to the fourth quarter of 2017 occurred in clothing, metals and machinery. Read more.  

Investment and profitability: Investment increased in 2017 after declining in 2016. The increase resulted primarily from a modest expansion in private investment, while public investment continued to fall. Read more.

Foreign direct investment projects: The TIPS Foreign Direct Investment Monitor tracks FDI projects, analysing new and updated projects on a quarterly basis. Read more.  

Briefing note: What happened to the recession? Revisions in the latest GDP data effectively wiped out a technical recession initially reported for the fourth quarter of 2016 and the first quarter of 2017. So what happened to the recession that was initially announced, and what do these revisions mean for our understanding of the GDP data? Read the briefing note online: What happened to the recession?

Briefing note: Bitcoin - Disruptive technology or Ponzi scheme? You can’t miss the Bitcoin hype, at least if you read the financial pages. It comes up regularly in articles, on twitter, at social events and even in conversations over coffee. In some countries institutions are investing in it, while others have banned it. That said, estimates suggest that worldwide, only between three and six million people actually own any of it. Read the briefing note online: Bitcoin - Disruptive technology or Ponzi scheme?

Briefing note: TIPS reviews of manufacturing sub-sectors: TIPS has completed a series of briefing notes on the main manufacturing sub-sectors. These provide information on the contribution to the GDP, employment, profitability and assets, the market structure and dominant producers, major inputs and international trade. Read the briefing note online: Reviews of manufacturing sub-sectors.