Crude steelmaking capacity in South Africa
South Africa: Crude steelmaking capacity was 8.05 Tonnes in 2025. ▼ Falling
Crude steelmaking capacity in South Africa, 2000–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for crude steelmaking capacity in South Africa is 8.05 Tonnes, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of down 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, crude steelmaking capacity in South Africa peaked at 11.98 Tonnes in 2001 and was at its lowest, 8.05 Tonnes, in 2020.
South Africa ranks 24th of 115 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Crude steelmaking capacity in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 11.61 Tonnes | — |
| 2001 | 11.98 Tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 11.98 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 11.98 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 11.98 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 11.98 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 11.98 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 11.98 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 11.98 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 11.98 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 11.98 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 11.98 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 10.54 Tonnes | -12.0% |
| 2013 | 10.74 Tonnes | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 10.74 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 9.37 Tonnes | -12.8% |
| 2016 | 9.37 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 9.37 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 9.37 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 9.37 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 8.05 Tonnes | -14.1% |
| 2021 | 8.05 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 8.05 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 8.05 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 8.05 Tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 8.05 Tonnes | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11.95 Tonnes | 11.61 Tonnes | 11.98 Tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.29 Tonnes | 9.37 Tonnes | 11.98 Tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.05 Tonnes | 8.05 Tonnes | 8.05 Tonnes | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More urban development data for South Africa
- Population in the largest city 15.6% (2025)
- Population density 52.11 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 27.72 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 23.36 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.3607 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 1.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 18.59 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 6.44 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 750.74 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is crude steelmaking capacity in South Africa?
- Crude steelmaking capacity in South Africa was 8.05 Tonnes in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest crude steelmaking capacity recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 11.98 Tonnes in 2001.
- What is the lowest crude steelmaking capacity recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.05 Tonnes in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for crude steelmaking capacity?
- South Africa ranks 24th out of 115 countries with data for 2025.
- Is crude steelmaking capacity rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Crude steelmaking capacity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
This dataset provides information on crude steelmaking capacity for 132 OECD Member countries and non-OECD economies over the period 2000–2025. Definitions Steelmaking capacity Nominal crude steelmaking capacity is defined as the maximum theoretical output of installed steelmaking equipment. This definition does not account for yield losses, maintenance downtime, or other factors affecting actual production. As a result, the steelmaking capacity figures provided by the OECD should not be interpreted as effective capacity. Capacity is expressed in million metric tonnes (mmt). Annual capacity figures reflect all steelmaking capacity existing at the end of each calendar year. Steelmaking equipment Steelmaking equipment includes all equipment used to produce crude steel. The definition excludes ironmaking equipment, which is considered upstream, as well as casting, rolling, and finishing equipment, which are considered downstream. Specifically, crude steelmaking equipment includes electric arc furnaces (EAF), induction furnaces (IF) and LD basic oxygen furnaces (BOF). Methodology Steelmaking capacity developments are derived from data on existing capacity, investments, and closures. Capacity changes reflect new additions and permanent closures and therefore represent net changes. In some cases, capacity may be overestimated due to the assumption that projects classified as underway with expired start dates have become operational. Only permanent closures are included in capacity calculations, although some closures cannot be clearly classified due to limited available information. Data sources OECD calculations based on desk research, company websites, publicly available news sources and information exchanges within the OECD Steel Committee. Cite this dataset OECD (2025). Crude steelmaking capacity dataset. Accessed on [Day Month Year]. Further information OECD Steel Outlook 2025 OECD Steel Committee Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity For questions or comments regarding this dataset, please contact Maika Sakamoto (Maika.SAKAMOTO@oecd.org) or Masanobu Nakamizu (Masanobu.NAKAMIZU@oecd.org).