Manufacturing

The Province's manufacturing base is strong and nearly a third of South Africa's manufactured exports originate in KwaZulu-Natal. This sector has experienced impressive growth recently, due to the change from a policy of inward industrialization to an open outwardly focused economy. Significant sub-sectors include aluminium, mineral processing, motor vehicle manufacturing, pulp and paper products, the chemicals and petrochemical sub-sector and  food and beverages (16%). The beverage sub-sector is much smaller than the food sub-sector, which accounts for 84% thereof with a value of R2.6 billion. Food procession generates subcontractors and there are allied industries such as printing, publishing, packaging and plastic supplies

Whilst the mix of manufacturing may change in the future, the pool of industrial skills in the Province, its infrastructure and locational advantages will ensure that manufacturing remains the economic centre-piece. There is a good skills base for the metal products sector and this has been built up around the sugar, aluminium, pulp and paper industries, motor components and motor assembly, chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries. Major players in the region include international giants Unilever, Alusaf, Bell Equipment, Smith & Nephew, and car manufacturer, Toyota South Africa.

There is a high degree of manufacturing flexibility. During the sanctions era, South African manufacturers operated on the ethos of ''if you want it, make it yourself''. This expertise remains. Also, production lines and cells tend to have a higher degree of labour component than their equivalent overseas plants. This allows more flexibility in the manufacturing process.