Manufacturing, value added in South Africa
South Africa: Manufacturing, value added was 12.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Manufacturing, value added in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 12.3% for manufacturing, value added in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.2% on the previous year and down 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, manufacturing, value added in South Africa peaked at 24.9% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 11.7%, in 2020.
That places South Africa 79th out of 205 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Manufacturing, value added in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 19.9% | — |
| 1961 | 20.5% | +3.0% |
| 1962 | 20.7% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 21.4% | +3.6% |
| 1964 | 22.1% | +2.8% |
| 1965 | 22.8% | +3.6% |
| 1966 | 22.6% | -1.2% |
| 1967 | 21.9% | -2.8% |
| 1968 | 21.9% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 22.3% | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 22.5% | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 21.8% | -3.4% |
| 1972 | 21.2% | -2.6% |
| 1973 | 21.7% | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 21.3% | -1.8% |
| 1975 | 23.1% | +8.5% |
| 1976 | 23.4% | +1.2% |
| 1977 | 21.6% | -7.7% |
| 1978 | 21.4% | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 22.5% | +4.9% |
| 1980 | 22.8% | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 24.9% | +9.0% |
| 1982 | 24.1% | -3.0% |
| 1983 | 23.9% | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 23.3% | -2.2% |
| 1985 | 22.2% | -5.1% |
| 1986 | 22.4% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 22.8% | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 23.1% | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 23.5% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 23.7% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 23.1% | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 22.3% | -3.6% |
| 1993 | 21.4% | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 21.0% | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 21.2% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 20.3% | -4.6% |
| 1997 | 19.9% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 19.3% | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 18.5% | -4.1% |
| 2000 | 19.0% | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 19.0% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 19.1% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 18.5% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 18.0% | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 17.4% | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 15.6% | -10.2% |
| 2007 | 15.4% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 15.6% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 14.5% | -7.1% |
| 2010 | 13.9% | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 12.9% | -7.2% |
| 2012 | 12.5% | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 12.4% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 12.5% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 12.5% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 12.5% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 12.5% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 12.5% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 12.4% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 11.7% | -5.5% |
| 2021 | 12.1% | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 12.4% | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 13.0% | +4.3% |
| 2024 | 12.8% | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 12.3% | -4.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21.6% | 19.9% | 22.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 22.0% | 21.2% | 23.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 23.3% | 22.2% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.1% | 18.5% | 23.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.2% | 14.5% | 19.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.6% | 12.4% | 13.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.4% | 11.7% | 13.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 76 Sweden 12.5% compare
- 77 Côte d'Ivoire 12.3% compare
- 78 Dominican Republic 12.3% compare
- 80 Peru 12.2% compare
- 81 Lesotho 12.1% compare
- 82 Bosnia and Herzegovina 12.0% compare
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.4836 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 5.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 11.78 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 77,700 current LCU per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 3.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 0.5921 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 3,907 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 7.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.8472 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is manufacturing, value added in South Africa?
- Manufacturing, value added in South Africa was 12.3% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest manufacturing, value added recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 24.9% in 1981.
- What is the lowest manufacturing, value added recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.7% in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for manufacturing, value added?
- South Africa ranks 79th out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is manufacturing, value added rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as part of Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Manufacturing includes industries classified in ISIC (Rev. 3) major division C and is defined as the physical or chemical transformation of materials or components into new products. Value added is the contribution to the economy by a producer or an industry or an institutional sector, which is estimated by the total value of output produced and deducting the total value of intermediate consumption of goods and services used to produce that output. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.