SIX Secondary Sector Examples in South Africa

In economics, the 6 good examples of the secondary sector in South Africa are: car manufacturing, food processing, clothing and textile production, cement production, steel production, and electricity generation.

These help us to distinguish the secondary sector from other sectors such as the primary sector (which includes farming and mining), and the tertiary sector (which includes services like banking and tourism).

If we are being exact, the secondary sector is all about turning raw materials into finished products. For example, in South Africa, mined iron ore (primary sector) is used to produce steel in factories (secondary sector), which is then used to make cars, buildings, or appliances.

Here is a strategy to remember what the secondary sector is in terms of examples:

If something is made or built using raw materials, and it happens in a factory, power station, or production plant — that is secondary sector.

Always as yourself the following 3 question in order to know if something falls under secondary sector:

1. Was a raw material used?
   (Example: maize, iron ore, wool, cotton, clay, coal, etc.)
2. Was the product made or processed using machines or tools?
   (Did it go through a factory or production process?)
3. Is there a final product at the end that can be used or sold?
   (Like clothes, cars, cement, steel, electricity, tinned food, etc.)

If the answer is yes to all three, then it is most likely a secondary sector activity. If any one of them is missing, then it might belong to the primary or tertiary sector.

In the following section, we focus on these 6 examples in detail, so that we can understand how the secondary sector creates jobs, supports exports, boosts infrastructure, and transforms raw materials into real products that people use.

List of SIX Secondary Sector Examples in South Africa

In this section, we provide more details and understanding of what the secondary sector is, using South African examples which are easy to relate to:

Example 1: Car Manufacturing

Car manufacturing is one of the biggest secondary sector activities in South Africa. Companies like Toyota (Durban), Mercedes-Benz (East London), and Ford (Pretoria) all build vehicles from scratch. They use steel, rubber, plastics, and electronics to produce full vehicles that are sold locally and exported to other countries. That is classic secondary sector work—raw materials go in, finished cars come out.

Example 2: Food Processing

South Africa has hundreds of food factories, from canning tomatoes in Tzaneen, to producing maize meal in Randfontein, to making biltong in Cape Town. In all these cases, raw food is processed, packaged, and prepared for shops.

This is what puts food processing firmly in the secondary sector, it adds value to raw materials through machines and labour.

Example 3: Clothing and Textile Production

From small clothing factories in Durban to textile mills in the Western Cape, South Africa still produces uniforms, T-shirts, blankets, and more.

This sector transforms raw cotton or wool into wearable products. It includes cutting, sewing, printing, and packaging. It is secondary sector because it turns raw fibres into final goods through industrial processes.

Example 4: Cement Production

Cement is made by heating limestone, clay, and other materials in huge kilns. South African companies like PPC and AfriSam are major cement producers.

Without this sector, there would be no houses, bridges, or roads. It is a key secondary sector activity that relies on science, machinery, and big infrastructure.

Example 5: Steel Production

South Africa’s steel industry is one of the oldest in the country. ArcelorMittal in Vanderbijlpark is a big example. Iron ore from the Northern Cape is melted and converted into steel beams, rods, and sheets.

These are then used to build stadiums, buildings, cars, and even cutlery. That full conversion process is why it sits in the secondary sector.

Example 6: Electricity Generation

Although some people confuse it with services, electricity generation is actually part of the secondary sector.

Eskom’s power stations burn coal to generate electricity, which is then distributed across the country. That burning of raw material (coal) to produce a usable output (electricity) is a classic example of secondary sector production.

We hope you will remember these South African examples of secondary sector in the exam.

Thank you