creamer media

The South African defence landscape, driven by a shifting political landscape, has changed significantly since the country became a democracy. A shrinking local acquisition budget, and limited funding for research and development have contributed to a decline in the industry’s predominance. The country’s defence industry, once a behemoth – employing 130 000 people, including 10% of the country’s engineers and scientists – is now small, employing about 15 000 people. However, the South African government continues to espouse its commitment to supporting the local defence industry, which currently contributes about only 0.47% of gross domestic product.

Creamer Media’s Defence 2020 report examines key developments in South Africa’s defence industry, with particular focus on key participants, innovations in the sector, local and export demand, and international collaboration, and the outlook for the country’s defence industry in light of current levels of local defence spending.

This report is a summary of information published in Engineering News and Mining Weekly, as well as of information available in the public domain over the past 12 months.

The report does not purport to provide analysis of market trends.

Published on: 11 February 2020