The manufacturing sector can and must adjust to a higher cost base to stem the tide of deindustrialisation in SA. Fuelled by consumption and credit, the service sector has easily outpaced the growth of productive sectors, pointing to an unsustainable and deep structural problem. Manufacturing, which holds the key to long-term job creation, employs 1,75m people, or 11,4% of the workforce — down from 2m people and 14,6% of the labour force in early 2008. Abdul Davids offers insight into this vital sector.
view article