The focus of the South African economy shifted from the primary and secondary sectors to the tertiary sector. At the moment, this accounts for approximately 65% of GDP, or approximately $230 billion in total.
This country's mining industry is at its peak. South Africa is the largest producer of platinum, chromium, manganese, and a variety of other metals in the world. Aside from that, it is the world's second-largest producer of titanium and 11th-largest producer of gold, the third-largest producer of vanadium and sixth-largest producer of gold, and many other things. This demonstrates that mining has added significant value to the South African economy, accounting for 60% of exports. According to studies, the mining industry contributed approximately 21% of GDP.
Agriculture's contribution is comparable to that of the mining industry. According to FOSTAT, South Africa is the leading producer of agricultural crops such as grapefruit, castor oil, green maize, peas, and others. This has contributed R10.1 billion to the South African economy and created thousands of jobs.
Aside from that, the manufacturing industry employs 13.3% of the workforce and contributes approximately 15% of the country's GDP.
Space industries, for example, are still in their infancy, but they are gaining traction as more people choose research and engineering as future careers.
The telecommunications industry dominates urban areas, and Cape Town is the epicenter of all major industrial development. People from all over the world are investing in cities like Cape Town because it provides a great location for filming and the establishment of the country's tourism (entertainment) sector.
