The Manufacture of Structural Metal Products in South Africa 2020

Manufacture of Structural Metal Products in South Africa

The structural metal products manufacturing sector produces metal structures and parts from aluminium, iron or steel. Manufacturers in this sector produce a multitude of products from bridges to towers, masts, piers, prefabricated buildings, doors, staircases, gates, fences, roofing and scaffolding. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic and weak economic conditions continue to have a significant effect on the performance of the local structural metal products manufacturing sector.

Lower Volumes

Most manufacturers of structural metal products have been struggling over the past few years due to the weakening of the local economy, the lack of large infrastructure projects and the weak mining and engineering sectors. Demand for steel products depends heavily on the fortunes of the construction sector, which has been under significant pressure. The volume and value of structural metal products produced decreased between March 2019 and March 2020. In March 2020, production effectively came to a halt, but companies have ramped up production as lockdown restrictions have progressively eased. Nevertheless, the outlook for local steel demand could be significantly lower than forecast as the pandemic shows no sign of abating. Some role players believe the downstream steel industry could be supported by tariff protection or other measures.

Report Coverage

This report focuses on The Manufacture of Structural Metal Products in South Africa, and includes information on the state and size of the sector, developments and corporate actions, trade statistics and influencing factors. There are profiles of 17 companies including major producers of structural metal products such as Argent Industrial, CIS Engineering, Consolidated Steel Industries, Mazor Group and Wispeco. Other profiles include barrier security products manufacturer Trellidor Holdings and GRI Wind Steel, the only local manufacturer of wind towers, as well as Kwikspace, which produces prefabricated and modular buildings.