All Countries and All Sectors

Despite some challenging circumstances, the South African agricultural sector continues to perform robustly. In the first quarter of 2013, the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector comprised 2.2% of real GDP. The country’s major farming segments in recent years have included cattle, dairy, poultry, sugar and maize. In terms of turnover, as many as 10 of the top 20 agribusinesses in South...

As South Africa’s visitor numbers pick up, revenues are returning to a tourism industry that suffered a post-World Cup dip compounded by the effects of a tough global environment. Some 4.4m tourists visited South Africa in the first six months of 2012. The government is working to increase the tourism sector contribution to the economy, from a 2009 baseline figure of R189.4bn ($23bn), or 7.9% of...

South Africa has a sizeable “digital divide”, with urban areas benefitting from a range of modern technologies while rural areas tend to be less connected. However, with a renewed draft broadband policy, South Africa now has a framework for developing the ICT infrastructure that will help its economy modernise and thrive. In the sphere of backhaul infrastructure, the private sector has a strong...

Despite having the smallest land area of South Africa’s nine provinces at 16,548 sq km, Gauteng is the largest contributor to the national economy contributing around $85.33bn and growing at a rate of 3%. The tertiary sector is the main driver of the local economy and makes up 71% of Gauteng’s GDP, led by finance, real estate, and business and government services. While Gauteng accounts for most...

South Africa’s construction industry has felt the impact of the post-World Cup slowdown more than any other sector of the economy. However, ongoing urbanisation trends suggest the sector may pick up in the near future, especially with regards to the social housing segment. South African construction companies have also experienced significant success in their efforts to expand into neighbouring...

Ensuring that the economy is well served by South Africa’s energy resources has become one of the government’s overriding concerns. Coal deposits are South Africa’s primary energy resource, with reserves estimated at 30.16bn tonnes as of the end of 2011. Due to an electricity deficit, the government has commissioned two coal-fired power stations, but even as new capacity is added, demand...