Services, value added in South Africa
South Africa: Services, value added was 63.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Services, value added in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 63.1% for services, value added in 2025.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, services, value added in South Africa peaked at 64.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 46.9%, in 1980.
That places South Africa 69th out of 206 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Services, value added in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 54.2% | — |
| 1961 | 54.0% | -0.4% |
| 1962 | 54.1% | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 53.8% | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 53.8% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 53.3% | -0.9% |
| 1966 | 53.5% | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 54.0% | +1.0% |
| 1968 | 55.2% | +2.2% |
| 1969 | 54.6% | -1.1% |
| 1970 | 55.4% | +1.5% |
| 1971 | 56.1% | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 55.5% | -1.1% |
| 1973 | 54.1% | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 52.4% | -3.1% |
| 1975 | 52.2% | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 52.5% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 52.9% | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 51.6% | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 49.4% | -4.4% |
| 1980 | 46.9% | -5.0% |
| 1981 | 48.1% | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 49.5% | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 50.7% | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 51.2% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 50.7% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 50.5% | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 51.6% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 51.0% | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 51.3% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 52.4% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 54.2% | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 56.9% | +5.1% |
| 1993 | 57.3% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 57.3% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 58.2% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 59.2% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 60.0% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 60.4% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 61.4% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 61.2% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 60.8% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 60.8% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 62.6% | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 62.5% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 62.6% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 63.5% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 62.8% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 61.5% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 63.6% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 64.3% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 64.3% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 64.3% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 64.1% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 64.0% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 64.1% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 63.9% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 64.3% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 64.3% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 64.3% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 64.6% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 62.7% | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 62.3% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 62.7% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 63.0% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 63.1% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 54.1% | 53.3% | 55.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 53.2% | 49.4% | 56.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.1% | 46.9% | 51.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.7% | 52.4% | 61.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.2% | 60.8% | 63.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.2% | 63.9% | 64.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.1% | 62.3% | 64.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 0.7139 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.1196 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 789.38 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 5.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.295 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita 1,946 current US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate 2.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 5.28 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is services, value added in South Africa?
- Services, value added in South Africa was 63.1% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest services, value added recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 64.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest services, value added recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.9% in 1980.
- How does South Africa rank for services, value added?
- South Africa ranks 69th out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is services, value added rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as part of Services, value added (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Services industries correspond to ISIC (Rev. 4) divisions 45-99 and includes wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, hotels and restaurants, transport, storage and communication, financial intermediation, real estate, renting and business activities, public administration and defence, compulsory social security, education, health and social work, other community, social and personal service activities, private households with employed persons, and extra-territorial organizations and bodies. 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.