South Africa was ranked the 21'st largest crude steel producing country in the world by the World Steel Association (worldsteel) in 2010. South Africa is also the largest steel producer in Africa, producing about 47% of the total crude steel production of the continent during 2010.

Total South African crude steel production as reported by the members of SAISI amounted to 7,617* million tonnes in 2010, an increase of 1,8%, compared with 7,484 million tonnes during 2009. This represents about 0,6% of world production which reached 1 411,9 million tonnes in 2010 according to the World Steel Association (worldsteel) , an increase of 14,8% when compared with 2009.

Carbon steel deliveries by the South African primary steel industry amounted to 5,665* million tonnes in 2009, an decrease of 13,5% compared with 2008. During 2009 3,884* million tonnes of carbon steel products were sold on the local market, representing a decrease of 28,3% compared with 2008. During 2009 1,772 million tonnes of primary carbon steel products were exported, an increase of 58,2% compared with 2009.

Imports of carbon and alloy primary steel products (excluding semis, stainless steel and drawn wire) during 2010 amounted to 0,657 million tons, an increase of 36,3% compared with 2009.

The range of primary carbon steel products and semi-finished products manufactured in South Africa includes billets, blooms, slabs, forgings, light-, medium- and heavy sections and bars, reinforcing bar, railway track material, wire rod, seamless tubes, plates, hot- and cold-rolled coils and sheets, electrolytic galvanised coils and sheets, tinplate and pre-painted coils and sheets.

The range of primary stainless steel products and semi-finished products manufactured in South Africa includes slabs, plates and hot- and cold-rolled coils and sheets.

A volume of 1,225 million tonnes of ferrous-scrap were exported and 0,054 million tonnes were imported in 2010.

* Estimated - as from July 2008 not all data is available.

Updated: 15 June 2011