Industrial policy aims to promote diversification and tailor interventions to the needs of individual manufacturing industries. To support evidence-based policymaking, TIPS has completed a series of notes on the main manufacturing subsectors in South Africa. These briefing notes provide information on the contribution to the GDP, employment, profitability and assets, the market structure and dominant producers, major inputs and international trade. They bring together data from Statistics South Africa, Quantec and Who Owns Whom to provide a more detailed overview of each sector.
Industry Studies, linked below, are available for the following sectors: Automotive, Capital Goods, Clothing and Textiles,
Electrical Equipment, Electronics, Food Processing, Horticulture, Plastics, and Steel
Additional studies will be added when finalised
AUTOMOTIVE
Industry Study: Automotive Manufacturing 2023
Industry Study: Technological Change in South Africa’s Automotive Industry
Industry Study: International Trade in South Africa’s Automotive Industry 2024
Industry Study: Sustainability Report Automotive Industry
CAPITAL GOODS
Industry Study: Capital Goods in South Africa 2024
Industry Study: Technological Change in the Capital Goods Industry 2024
Industry Study: International Trends in the Capital Goods Industry 2024
Industry Study: Sustainability in the Capital Goods Industry 2025
CLOTHING AND TEXTILES
Industry Study: Clothing and Textiles 2024
Industry Study: Technological Change in the Clothing and Textile Industries
Industry Study: Clothing and Textiles International Trends 2024
Industry Study: Sustainability in the Clothing and Textile Industries 2025
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
Industry Study: Electrical Equipment 2023
Industry Study: Technological Change in the Electrical Equipment Industry
ELECTRONICS
Industry Studies Update: Electronics October 2025
Industry Study: Electronics Industry
Industry Study: Technological Change in the Electronics Industry
Industry Study: International Trade – Electronics Industry
Industry Study: Sustainability Report – Electronics Industry
FOOD PROCESSING
Industry Studies Update: Food Processing
Industry Study: Food Processing
Industry Study: Technological Change in the Food Processing Industry
Industry Study: International Trends – Food Processing
Industry study: Sustainability Report Food Processing
HORTICULTURE
Industry Study: Horticulture Value Chain 2024
Industry study: Technological Changes in the Horticulture Industry
Industry Study: International Trends in the Horticulture Industry
PLASTICS
Industry Study: South Africa’s International Trade in Plastics
Industry Study: Technological Change in the Plastics Industry 2024
Industry study: Sustainability Report Plastics Industry
STEEL
Industry Studies Update: Iron and Steel October 2025
Industry Study: Steel and Related Products
Industry Study: Technological Change in the Steel Industry