Defence 2014: A review of South Africa's defence industry

South Africa’s defence industry has sophisticated manufacturing capabilities and it has been at the forefront of many significant defence developments locally and internationally. The industry has a high level of State involvement in terms of acquisitions and production, with the largest manufacturer of defence equipment in the country being State-owned Denel. There are also a number of private-sector companies active in the market, with several having strong links to international defence manufacturers. Some companies that are active in South Africa’s defence industry are specifically focused on defence-related activities, while others are also active in nondefence markets, having diversified from defence into other markets, or having diversified from civilian activities into defence. Creamer Media’s Defence 2014 report examines South Africa’s defence industry, with particular focus on the key participants in the sector, the innovations that have come out of the sector, local and export demand, South Africa’s controversial multibillion-rand strategic defence procurement package, diversification in the sector and the outlook for South Africa’s defence industry in light of current levels of local defence spending, which have contributed to the defence force being in a “critical state of decline”.