Research Reports
Productivity SA's Research Innovation and Statistics unit produces productivity research reports covering competitiveness and industrial performance across South Africa. These research reports draw on national policy frameworks such as the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) and the National Development Plan to examine trends shaping the country's economy and workforce. Combining data driven analysis with practical insight, our productivity research supports policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders in understanding how productivity influences job creation and sustainable growth. Browse our productivity research reports and statistics below, updated regularly as new studies are published.
An Overview of the Ocean Economy of South Africa 2026
South Africa’s coastline gives the country a natural advantage few others can claim: seven major ports and direct access to global shipping lanes. Our latest research into the South Africa ocean economy found that the sector contributed approximately 4.5% of nominal GDP and supported more than 580,000 jobs…
Productivity in the South African Automotive Industry 2026
The South African automotive industry is one of the country’s most important economic engines — contributing 4.9% to GDP, supporting over 400 000 jobs, and ranking as the 5th largest export sector in the country.But behind these strong headline numbers lies a persistent challenge…
An Overview of the South African Furniture Industry 2026
The South African furniture industry is a labour-intensive manufacturing sector valued at $2.47 billion in 2024, supporting an estimated 26,000 formal jobs and a further tens of thousands of informal positions across the wider value chain. But behind these numbers lies a sector still recovering…
Overview of the Leather and Footwear Industry 2025
The leather and footwear industry in South Africa has a history stretching back to the Cape Dutch settlers, yet the sector today is fighting for its place in a market flooded with cheap imports. Productivity SA’s latest research report, An Overview of the South African Leather and Footwear Industry, examines how the sector performs in terms of employment, exports and GDP, and what stands in the way of a stronger, more competitive leather and footwear value chain…
Exploring the Value Chain in the Agro-Processing Industry 2025
The agro-processing value chain in South Africa is one of the country’s largest and most strategically important manufacturing systems, contributing roughly R49 billion to the economy, supporting over 470,000 jobs, and accounting for 23% of total manufacturing output. But behind these strong headline numbers lies a persistent challenge: South Africa continues to import large volumes of beef and hides that its own value chains are well placed to produce…
Productivity and Performance Management in the Public Sector 2025
South Africa’s public service faces growing pressure to do more with less. Budgets are tightening. Vacancies are rising. Citizens are demanding better service delivery. For years, government departments have focused on managing performance hitting targets in annual performance plans without measuring productivity, or how efficiently those targets are actually being achieved. Too often, people treat productivity and performance management in the public sector as the same thing…
The Role of Energy Supply in National Productivity Growth Online 2025
Energy supply in South Africa has become one of the biggest constraints on the country’s economic performance. PwC estimates that intermittent energy shortages cost the economy the equivalent of 5% of real GDP in 2022. Businesses absorbed that cost through outages, diesel generators and lost working hours…
Poultry Sector 2024
In South Africa, poultry consumption is an important avenue to reduce malnutrition problems, because poultry meat is one of the most affordable sources of protein.
Sugar Industry 2024
The South Africa sugar industry plays an important role in the national economy given its contribution to GDP, foreign exchange earnings¹ and creation of jobs in the manufacturing value chain. However, over the past twenty years, sugar production has been declining on a year-to-year basis…
Link Between Wages & Labour Productivity in the Automotive Sector
The South African automotive sector is the second largest automotive industry on the African continent, after Morocco, and the country’s largest manufacturing sector (DTI, 2019) as well as the country’s main industrial foundation.
Productivity & Competitiveness of the Steel Industry and its Driving Factors
The steel industry is regarded as a necessary part of any country’s basic production for industrial development and a major driver of the manufacturing sector. Consumption of steel of any country is explained by the level of industrial development and economic growth as according to the intensity of use model (Radetzki & Tilton, 1990).
The South African Metal Fabrication Sector
Productivity SA continues to play an important role in support of government’s strategic objective of creating sustainable and decent jobs for South African citizens. This it does by reviewing performance of the metal fabrication industry, among other industries. The metal fabrication industry was identified by the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP)…
The role of productivity in stimulating SMME sustainable recovery from the impact of Covid-19 in the Clothing and Textile Sector
The manufacturing value of the clothing, textiles, footwear, and leather value chain (CTFL) has declined from 8.5% in 1994 to around 3% in 2019. Employment data has also dropped from 330 000 to 250 000, or from 20% of total manufacturing employment to 14% in 2002 and 2019 respectively (TIPS,2020).
Impact of COVID-19 on SMMEs Productivity and competitiveness, and the role of digital technology
Productivity SA conducted an online survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMME Productivity and Competitiveness and the role of digital technology. The survey covered the SMME situation prior to the onset of the lockdown on 23 March 2020 as a baseline, and focused on the impact of the lockdown over a period of six months which ended in September 2020 …
As we continue our work to foster employment growth and enhance productivity across South Africa, our latest updates are being prepared. We invite you to explore the other tabs for more insightful articles that support our shared mission of national development and global competitiveness.
Minimum Wages & Productivity
Productivity SA has a statutory mandate to promote employment growth and workplace productivity thereby contributing to South Africa’s socio-economic development and competitiveness.
Productivity, Competitiveness & Employment in the Minig Sector
Productivity SA has a statutory mandate to promote employment growth and workplace productivity thereby contributing to South Africa’s socio-economic development and competitiveness.