In 2023, services were the main economic sector in Sub-Saharan Africa, contributing almost ** percent to the GDP. Industries made up the second-leading sector, with a GDP contribution of approximately ** percent. Some ** percent of Sub-Saharan Africa's economy was, on the other hand, represented by agricultural activities.

As of April 2025, South Africa's GDP was estimated at over 410 billion U.S. dollars, the highest in Africa. Egypt followed, with a GDP worth around 347 billion U.S. dollars, and ranked as the second-highest on the continent. Algeria ranked third, with nearly 269 billion U.S. dollars. These African economies are among some of the fastest-growing economies worldwide. Dependency on oil For some African countries, the oil industry represents an enormous source of income. In Nigeria, oil generates over five percent of the country’s GDP in the third quarter of 2023. However, economies such as the Libyan, Algerian, or Angolan are even much more dependent on the oil sector. In Libya, for instance, oil rents account for over 40 percent of the GDP. Indeed, Libya is one of the economies most dependent on oil worldwide. Similarly, oil represents for some of Africa’s largest economies a substantial source of export value. The giants do not make the ranking Most of Africa’s largest economies do not appear in the leading ten African countries for GDP per capita. The GDP per capita is calculated by dividing a country’s GDP by its population. Therefore, a populated country with a low total GDP will have a low GDP per capita, while a small rich nation has a high GDP per capita. For instance, South Africa has Africa’s highest GDP, but also counts the sixth-largest population, so wealth has to be divided into its big population. The GDP per capita also indicates how a country’s wealth reaches each of its citizens. In Africa, Seychelles has the greatest GDP per capita.

This statistic shows the distribution of the gross domestic product (GDP) across economic sectors in South Africa from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, agriculture had contributed around 2.62 percent to the GDP of South Africa, whereas industry and services had contributed 24.62 and 62.61 percent of the total value added, respectively.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in South Africa was worth 400.26 billion US dollars in 2024, according to official data from the World Bank. The GDP value of South Africa represents 0.38 percent of the world economy. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - South Africa GDP - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

As of 2024, Sudan was the North African country with the highest contribution share of the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector to the gross domestic product (GDP), with this industry constituting around **** percent of the economy. Overall, the agriculture sector plays a vital role within the North African countries, contributing at least **** percent to each national GDP of the region. The only exception was Libya, where agricultural activities only made up *** percent of the GDP, respectively. In Sudan, the contribution of agriculture to GDP dropped sharply between 2021 and 2023, largely due to climate-related challenges and the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023. However, in 2024, the share rebounded to over ** percent, likely because the war severely weakened the industrial and service sectors, shrinking overall GDP and making agriculture’s relative share appear larger. Additionally, as urban jobs disappeared, many Sudanese turned to rural areas and subsistence farming, boosting informal agricultural activity. Agriculture and Economics Across Africa, agriculture is a core pillar of the economy, representing ** percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP in 2023, led by Niger and Comoros. In addition to its economic presence, the sector also plays an important role in contributing to the job market. In fact, the number of people employed in agriculture in the continent reached almost *** million in 2023. While Central and Western Africa boasted large shares of the agricultural workforce, North Africa recorded the lowest share of employment in the industry, due to the region’s heavy reliance on industrial and service sectors. Harvest and Land
The primary crops grown in Africa are roots and tubers, along with cereals. In fact, Egypt and Morocco led the North African region in 2023, with the highest amounts of cereals produced. Within the continent, Sudan and South Africa possess the largest agricultural land areas, with around *** million and **** million hectares, respectively. However, Burundi dedicated the largest share of land to growing crops at ** percent, with Rwanda following close behind at ** percent.

South Africa ZA: GDP: % of GDP: Gross Value Added: Industry: Manufacturing data was reported at 11.858 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 12.040 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: GDP: % of GDP: Gross Value Added: Industry: Manufacturing data is updated yearly, averaging 19.947 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.607 % in 1981 and a record low of 11.601 % in 2013. South Africa ZA: GDP: % of GDP: Gross Value Added: Industry: Manufacturing data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Gross Domestic Product: Share of GDP. Manufacturing refers to industries belonging to ISIC divisions 15-37. Value added is the net output of a sector after adding up all outputs and subtracting intermediate inputs. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or depletion and degradation of natural resources. The origin of value added is determined by the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), revision 3. Note: For VAB countries, gross value added at factor cost is used as the denominator.; ; World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files.; Weighted Average; Note: Data for OECD countries are based on ISIC, revision 4.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in South Africa expanded 0.10 percent in the first quarter of 2025 over the previous quarter. This dataset provides - South Africa GDP Growth Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

This dataset provides values for GDP reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

As of 2023, Niger registered the agricultural sector's highest contribution to the GDP in Africa, at over ** percent. Comoros and Ethiopia followed, with agriculture, forestry, and fishing accounting for approximately ** percent and ** percent of the GDP, respectively. On the other hand, Botswana, Djibouti, Libya, Zambia, and South Africa were the African countries with the lowest percentage of the GDP generated by the agricultural sector. Agriculture remains a pillar of Africa’s economy Despite the significant variations across countries, agriculture is a key sector in Africa. In 2022, it represented around ** percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP, growing by over *** percentage points compared to 2011. The agricultural industry also strongly contributes to the continent’s job market. The number of people employed in the primary sector in Africa grew from around *** million in 2011 to *** million in 2021. In proportion, agriculture employed approximately ** percent of Africa’s working population in 2021. Agricultural activities attracted a large share of the labor force in Central, East, and West Africa, which registered percentages over the regional average. On the other hand, North Africa recorded the lowest share of employment in agriculture, as the regional economy relies significantly on the industrial and service sectors. Cereals are among the most produced crops Sudan and South Africa are the African countries with the largest agricultural areas. Respectively, they devote around *** million and **** million hectares of land to growing crops. Agricultural production varies significantly across African countries in terms of products and volume. Cereals such as rice, corn, and wheat are among the main crops on the continent, also representing a staple in most countries. The leading cereal producers are Ethiopia, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa. Together, they recorded a cereal output of almost *** million metric tons in 2021. Additionally, rice production was concentrated in Nigeria, Egypt, Madagascar, and Tanzania.

The mining sector forms an important part of the South African economy. In 2024, the industry contributed an added value of approximately ****** billion South African rand (around ***** billion U.S. dollars) to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In recent years, the overall growth rate of value-added GDP has followed a declining trend due to the general challenges the global mining industry is facing coupled with the additional burden of deteriorating infrastructure, port congestion, illegal mining activities, among many others. How does mining contribute to local employment? In 2024, the mining trade provided direct employment to almost **** a million people in South Africa. The largest employer of all mineral commodities produced was the platinum group metals (PGMs), which employed nearly ** percent of the total. In terms of production volume, coal was South Africa’s largest produced commodity over the past decade. Revenue and leading mining companies Although PGMs generated close to ** percent of the accumulated revenue from South African mining activities, it suffered a significant decline in 2024. On the other hand, the proceeds made from gold mining have increased by roughly **** percent from the previous year. As a result of global geopolitical precariousness, rising inflation, and economic growth concerns, gold has strengthened its position as a resilient and trusted asset. Gold Fields is the leading mining company in South Africa, with a market capitalization amounting to about *** billion South African rand (nearly **** billion U.S. dollars. The firm has agreed to form a joint venture with Anglo Gold with the aim of creating the largest gold mine in Africa, whereby Goldfields will hold ********** of its stake.

South Africa ZA: Research and Development Expenditure: % of GDP data was reported at 0.723 % in 2013. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.735 % for 2012. South Africa ZA: Research and Development Expenditure: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 0.758 % from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2013, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.898 % in 2006 and a record low of 0.584 % in 1997. South Africa ZA: Research and Development Expenditure: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Technology. Gloss domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

GDP from Construction in South Africa decreased to 99808.81 ZAR Million in the first quarter of 2025 from 103719.97 ZAR Million in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - South Africa Gdp From Construction - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Nigeria was worth 187.76 billion US dollars in 2024, according to official data from the World Bank. The GDP value of Nigeria represents 0.18 percent of the world economy. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Nigeria GDP - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

GDP from Services in South Africa increased to 1158321.68 ZAR Million in the first quarter of 2025 from 1155455.51 ZAR Million in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - South Africa Gdp From Services - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in South Africa expanded 0.80 percent in the first quarter of 2025 over the same quarter of the previous year. This dataset provides - South Africa GDP Annual Growth Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The Gross Domestic Product per capita in South Africa was last recorded at 5708.96 US dollars in 2024. The GDP per Capita in South Africa is equivalent to 45 percent of the world's average. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - South Africa GDP per capita - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Djibouti registered the highest contribution of the service sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Africa, with a share of ** percent in 2020. São Tomé and Príncipe and Seychelles followed, with services accounting for approximately ** percent of the GDP in 2021. On the other hand, Sudan had the lowest percentage of the GDP generated by the service sector, at around ** percent.

Abstract

The data comes from the Electricity, Gas and Water Supply Iindustry Large Sample Survey by StatsSA which aims to provide financial, production, employment and related information for the electricity, gas and water supply industry in South Africa. The survey was conducted irregularly. This survey is based on a complete enumeration of private and public enterprises contributing to the top 99,5% of the industry turnover and adjustment factors were applied to compensate for the units contributing to the bottom 0,5% of industry turnover. Results of the survey are mainly used within Stats SA for benchmarking the gross domestic product (GDP) and its components. These statistics are also used by government to make decisions on industry policies and plans, and in monitoring the performance and contribution of individual industries to the South African economy. The private sector uses the data to analyse comparative business and industry performance.

Geographic coverage

The survey has national coverage.

Analysis unit

Establishments

Kind of data

Time-Series

Mode of data collection

Face-to-Face, Internet and Telephone

This dataset provides values for GDP FROM CONSTRUCTION reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

This statistic shows the share of economic sectors in gross domestic product (GDP) in the Central African Republic from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, the share of agriculture in the Central African Republic's gross domestic product was 28.61 percent, industry contributed approximately 20.71 percent and the services sector contributed about 40.51 percent.