In the second of our South Africa Manufacturing Analysis, we review the financial performance of JSE-listed manufacturing companies for financial year 2025 and outline the strategic levers manufacturers must pull to not only withstand disruption, but to thrive in an era defined by rapid transformation.
Key themes
Financial performance
Some highlights include:
The Make domain
To thrive, manufacturing businesses must explore new domains of growth—markets where companies work across sector boundaries to meet fundamental human needs. In fact, PwC’s 29th Global CEO Survey proves just this. 52% of industrials and services (I&S) CEOs say their companies have competed in new sectors or industries in the last five years. 34% of I&S CEOs say that their C-suite leadership team has equipped their company to respond effectively to disruptions.
Compared to the manufacturing sector that we know, the Make domain will be a more diverse, tech-enabled zone in which firms integrate their capabilities and knowledge to create offerings that better meet customers’ increasingly complex needs. The new cast of players consists of classic manufacturers, along with IoT providers, AI firms, cybersecurity specialists, and robotics companies.
