The basic chemicals and petroleum refineries industry comprises polymers, bulk petrochemicals and intermediates, other basic industrial and inorganic chemicals, and fertilisers. It forms part of the broader chemicals industry, which also encompasses household chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and products of plastic and rubber, most of which are downstream from basic chemicals and petroleum refineries.
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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
Wood and paper
The beverages industry comprises alcoholic and soft drinks excluding fruit juices, which are classed under fruit and vegetable processing. Soft drinks were around a fifth of beverages turnover.
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Other subsector notes
Basic chemicals and petroleum refineries
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
Wood and paper
Capital equipment comprises machinery and equipment used in production. While it does not equate to a standard statistical category, it largely falls under machinery and electrical equipment. Machinery refers to the production of machine tools, engines, pumps, handling equipment, armaments and similar complex equipment; electrical machinery covers electric motors and transformers as well as cables and lights. These categories exclude transport equipment, appliances and precision equipment, for instance for medical use. The line between these classes of equipment has however become increasingly blurred as digital controls grow in importance.
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Other subsector notes
Basic chemicals and petroleum refineries
Beverages
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
Wood and paper
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
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