Industrial Policy in South Africa

Abstract

Abstract: Manufacturing in South Africa has been the subject of strong industrial policy support. Since 1994, the sector has undergone major structural shifts but the sector has performed poorly. Trade liberalization, which started to take effect before 1994, led to rapid import penetration across a wide range of sectors. For the most part the export response was disappointing. From 2007, there has been a shift to more intensive sectoral industrial policy. But this coincided with a number of very negative developments including the global financial crisis as well as serious infrastructure constraints. The specifics of industrial policy are examined in heavy industry, the automotive sector, and light manufacturing as well as in the outcomes of regional industrial development policies. The chapter concludes that South Africa needs to be on a more labour-absorbing growth path which requires appropriate industrial as well as other policies.