RSA Standardised Industry

The South African industry indicator time-series database provides a unique, disaggregated and consistent long-term view of South Africa's economic structure by industry at the 3-digit SIC level. The data is compiled by combining a consistent input-output framework spanning three decades with a comprehensive set of industry and national account indicators. The result is a systematic and up-to-date set of standardised industry time-series for South Africa.

The emphasis of the database is on the input, output, capital employed and labour utilisation structure of each industry.

Data classification

The industry classification follows the 28 manufacturing industries (3-digit SIC scheme) reported by Statistics South Africa (SSA) in its monthly sales, production, price and employment releases and a 2-digit scheme for the 17 non-manufacturing industries.

The database is organised by industry. The structure of each industry is explained by up to 400 variables. Various views or units (nominal, real, price index, etc.) describe each variable.

Demand side

• Intermediate or inter-industry sales/output
• Private consumption expenditure on industry output
• Government consumption expenditure on industry output
• Investment goods output
• Inventories investment
• Exports by destination
• Imports by origin
• Total sales/output
• Output prices (producer, export, import, intermediate, final demand excluding exports)

Supply side

• Intermediate or inter-industry purchase/inputs
• Employment by skill level (highly skilled, skilled, semi- and unskilled)
• Labour remuneration
• Value added (GDP)
• Gross operating surplus
• Net operating surplus
• Depreciation charges by asset type (building & construction works, machinery & equipment, transport equipment)
• Gross domestic fixed investment by asset type (building & construction works, machinery & equipment, transport equipment)
• Capital stock by asset type (building & construction works, machinery & equipment, transport equipment)
• Indirect taxes paid (VAT, customs, excise, other)
• Subsidies received
• Input prices (intermediate, GDP, total input)
• Capacity utilisation

Ratios and multipliers

• Labour productivity by skill level
• Capital productivity (by asset type)
• Multi factor productivity
• Export intensity
• Import intensity
• Output, income, import and employment multipliers

Industries included in the database

• 01: Agriculture, forestry & fishing [1]
• 02: Coal mining [21]
• 03: Gold & uranium ore mining [23]
• 04: Other mining [22, 24, 25, 29]
• 05: Food [301-304]
• 06: Beverages [305]
• 07: Tobacco [306]
• 08: Textiles [311-312]
• 09: Wearing apparel [313-315]
• 10: Leather & leather products [316]
• 11: Footwear [317]
• 12: Wood & wood products [321-322]
• 13: Paper & paper products [323]
• 14: Printing, publishing & recorded media [324-326]
• 15: Coke & refined petroleum products [331-333]
• 16: Basic chemicals [334]
• 17: Other chemicals & man-made fibres [335-336]
• 18: Rubber products [337]
• 19: Plastic products [338]
• 20: Glass & glass products [341]
• 21: Non-metallic minerals [342]
• 22: Basic iron & steel [351]
• 23: Basic non-ferrous metals [352]
• 24: Metal products excluding machinery [353-355]
• 25: Machinery & equipment [356-359]
• 26: Electrical machinery [361-366]
• 27: Television, radio & communication equipment [371-373]
• 28: Professional & scientific equipment [374-376]
• 29: Motor vehicles, parts & accessories [381-383]
• 30: Other transport equipment [384-387]
• 31: Furniture [391]
• 32: Other industries [392]
• 33: Electricity, gas & steam [41]
• 34: Water supply [42]
• 35: Building construction [51]
• 36: Civil engineering & other construction [52-53]
• 37: Wholesale & retail trade [61-62]
• 38: Catering & accommodation services [63]
• 39: Transport & storage [71]
• 40: Communication [72]
• 41: Finance & insurance [81-82]
• 42: Business services [83]
• 43: Medical, dental & other health & veterinary services [93]
• 44: Other community, social & personal services [97]
• 45: Other [99]

Database features

• The database consists of more than 25,000 annual and quarterly time-series from as early as 1970 to the present.
• Comprehensive on-line meta-data includes a descriptive data overview, instructions for accessing the database, an explanation of the various mnemonic schemes utilised in the database and a complete listing of the database contents. Each time-series is extensively defined with cross-referencing to source. The documentation is embedded in the database and presented in HTML format on the Internet.
• Data is available over the Internet and on CD-ROM and can be downloaded into Excel, EViews and CSV formats.
• Internet access to the combines an intuitive point and click hierarchical interface with basic tabulation, graphical and analytical features.
• A Windows based browser is available to database subscribers for local data manipulation on the user's own PC.
• Major updates occur twice a year during April-June and September-November. Minor updates occur quarterly.

Primary data sources

• Department of Labour (manpower surveys)
• South African Reserve Bank (national accounts, balance of payments and public sector)
• South African Revenue Service (international trade data, etc.)
• National Treasury (government expenditures/revenue)
• Statistics South Africa (sectoral value added, input-output tables, detailed sectoral remuneration and gross operating surplus, price and output, gross domestic fixed investment, employment)
• Quantec Research (calculated depreciation, capital stock and inventory investment, estimated input-output tables)

Update frequency

Major updates occur twice a year during April-June and September-November. Minor updates occur quarterly.

Delivery

Access to the RSA Standardised Industry database is through our EasyData website, which allows users to browse and download all the desired data in MS Excel and CSV format.