Tracking total factor productivity across industries in South Africa

We show that national total factor productivity estimates mask significant heterogeneity across industries. Our estimates imply that there has been broad-based decline in productivity since the global financial crisis, particularly for mining, manufacturing and construction. While we highlight challenges to measuring productivity in South Africa, we show that our estimates are broadly similar to estimates from other international agencies. Over the long term, productivity is a key determinant of a country's per capita income. South Africa's poor productivity performance since 1990 is therefore very concerning. Our estimates have profound policy implications, highlighting the impact that electricity and logistical constraints, rising regulatory compliance costs, policy uncertainty and municipal mismanagement.