This country profile was published in November 2010 in our annual 'Africa in 2011' issue. The next edition, 'Africa in 2012' will be on sale in November 2011.

Country Profile

Top South African Companies

Top South African Banks

AThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was a triumph for South Africa, showcasing an impressive capacity to organise one of the world’s biggest events with competence and flair. FIFA made its largest profit ever from a World Cup, but for South Africans, the party did not come cheap and the payback has begun. The cities that hosted the matches are now going all out to recoup the massive costs they incurred building new infrastructure and are determined to pursue tax arrears with zeal in 2011. ?

Transnet transportation workers secured an 11% wage increase during the World Cup, as the government did not want a strike to ruin the event. Workers at energy para-statal Eskom enjoyed similar leverage and scored themselves a 9% deal. Other public-sector workers who went on strike in August ended up with 7.5%, 1.1% less than they wanted but still higher than the rate of inflation.

Many public-sector workers are unhappy with the settlement and accuse their leaders of selling out.? Aside from the money, the ostentatiousness of the politically connected elite is generating worker anger. The difference in wages between senior managers and other workers in the public sector has grown sharply in management’s favour in recent years.

This is almost certain to be one of the big political debates of 2011. ?Closely connected to this is the issue of black economic empowerment (BEE), which has distributed huge benefits in a highly unequal and untransparent manner. The South African Communist Party (SACP) now attacks BEE for distracting government attention away from the potential developmental benefits that it reckons the state could secure from private capital.

Recent mining deals have significantly enriched at least two members of President Jacob Zuma’s family, giving rise to a new term – Zuma economic empowerment (or ‘ZEE’). The president has called the criticism scurrilous, but it comes from, among others, the Congress of South African Trade Unions ?(Cosatu) and the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL). They were once his closest allies and Zuma will need them if he hopes to secure a second term.

?Local elections are due to be held between March and June. Whatever the current squabbles between the ANC and its alliance partners, talk about the SACP going it alone or Cosatu creating a new party is unlikely to affect the three campaigning as a block, at least in the short term. It will be the usual clean sweep for the ANC in most provinces, though its control over Gauteng may weaken to the advantage of the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA).

The DA, led by Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, will further consolidate its hold on the Western Cape, boosted by the absorption of Patricia de Lille’s Independent Democrats. ?Popular perception that the ruling elite is uncaring and bling-obsessed has not translated into growing support for other opposition parties such as the breakaway Congress of the People (COPE), which has been damaged by squabbles between founders Mosiuoa Lekota and Mbhazima Shilowa over leadership of the party and the allocation of funds.

The new party did not manage to land a decent punch on the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly throughout 2010. If it fails to resolve its leadership crisis before the local elections, it will be annihilated, to the ANC’s glee, particularly in the Eastern Cape where COPE has posted its best scores. ?President Zuma will try to keep the succession debate within the ANC to an absolute minimum.

A cabinet reshuffle in late October, ostensibly to improve service delivery, appeared more ­political than consequential. Zuma seems eager for a second term and intends, like Thabo Mbeki before him, to use the ANC tradition of deployment rather than campaigning to bolster his chances. And yet, just as the strategy did not work for Mbeki, it seems unlikely to do so for his successor either.

Many in the ANC, and particularly in the ANCYL, are determined to raise the succession issue, intending at the very least to secure ex-ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula, now sports minister, as the party’s secretary general in 2012. ?Media freedom will remain a hot topic throughout 2011, as the government and the ANC ponder how to follow through on the resolution made at the ANC’s 2007 Polokwane conference to create a media appeals tribunal. The move is supported by many in the ANC, including the president, who consider themselves to have been unfairly treated in the media and who are untroubled at the prospects for the country’s democratic reputation if party appointees are permitted to use a tribunal to muzzle and punish the press.

The proposed tribunal and a draft protection of information bill, which would drastically curtail media access to government documents, have galvanised the country’s liberal intelligentsia against those in power. Although it is talking tough, the government seems likely to give way on some of the issues in 2011. ?The economy is recovering slowly, with analysts forecasting that real GDP growth will rise from 3% in 2010 to 3.5% in 2011.

This will provide some relief, but the growth rate seems unlikely to have much positive impact on unemployment which remains stubbornly high at between 25% and 45%, depending on how it is calculated. In October the government adopted a growth plan intended to provide 5m jobs in 10 years but it was unclear where these were to be created. ?Consumer demand is now rising and has already started to boost manufacturing.

The strong rand keeps manufacturing inputs cheap but exports more expensive. Hiring is up in the sector, but not dramatically so, and certainly not enough to absorb new entrants into the job market. ?Agricultural output in 2010 was excellent, despite much doom-mongering, and there is a good prospect of strong harvests in 2011, too.

The impact of agricultural growth will almost certainly be compounded by firmer international grain prices. Higher prices will make it harder for South Africa’s neighbours to buy much of its crop, but China is keen to absorb the excess. This will work well for South African farmers but could create political tensions in the region, which may necessitate the setting aside of some surplus crops for regional consumption, possibly via the Southern Africa Development Community. ?

Average inflation may trend slightly upwards in 2011 to over 5%, but will be contained by the continued strength of the rand against major currencies. Low global interest rates make South Africa’s base lending rate of 6% stand out and encourage the inflow of money. ?The Reserve Bank may cut lending rates by 1% during 2011 but will be wary of going further for fear of stoking South Africans’ appetite for credit. A rate cut may dent the rand’s value against major currencies, but probably not by much, and the currency is likely to finish 2011 at much the same exchange rates as when the year began.

The Nationalisation debate continues

Prices for South Africa’s main mineral exports will probably rise in 2011. Platinum will benefit from a mild increase in global vehicle sales, and gold will continue to interest those looking to hedge against continued quantitative easing by European and US central banks. ?Platinum output should rise next year as Anglo Plats and other producers seek to take advantage of the firmer price, but gold output looks set to fall once more.

South Africa was once the world’s largest gold producer but now is only its fourth, with a growing number of sites either depleted or nearly so. Meanwhile, the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) has forced the issue of nationalisation of the mining sector onto the ruling party’s policy agenda. Dissenters, in addition to the mining industry and the mainstream business media, include President Jacob Zuma, minerals minister Susan Shabangu and, remarkably, the South African Communist Party.

?The ANCYL has committed itself to backing only candidates who support nationalisation, which will put pressure on Zuma to shift his stance.? The government has agreed to review the legislative framework next year but may be forced to go further, into a full strategic review – if only to appease the ANCYL without giving any policy ground

South Africa’s Top Companies

Rank 2010	Rank 2009	Company name	Country	Sector	Turnover (Thds $)	Turnover change	Net profits
3	3	SASOL	SOUTH AFRICA	CHEMICALS	18 583 050	35,10%	1
4	4	THE BIDVEST GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	15 157 520	29,58%	392
5	5	MTN GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	TELECOMS	15 092 695	39,34%	2
6	11	ESKOM	SOUTH AFRICA	ELECTRICITY	9 600 397	68,82%	488
7	62	SANLAM	SOUTH AFRICA	INSURANCE	8 179 664	293,01%	685
8	17	SHOPRITE HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	7 997 328	58,85%	269
9	10	VODACOM GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	TELECOMS	7 891 689	35,35%	566
10	14	PICK'N PAY STORES HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	7 379 305	39,32%	160
11	8	IMPERIAL HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	DIVERSIFIED	7 318 434	23,86%	204
12	18	VODACOM SOUTH AFRICA	SOUTH AFRICA	TELECOMS	6 799 107	35,53%	0
13	20	STEINHOFF INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	DIVERSIFIED	6 476 753	36,09%	505
14	22	MASSMART HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	5 814 611	37,78%	163
15	19	BARLOWORLD	SOUTH AFRICA	DIVERSIFIED	5 693 718	15,08%	99
16	9	SAPPI	SOUTH AFRICA	PAPER	5 369 000	-8,43%	-177
17	27	TELKOM	SOUTH AFRICA	TELECOMS	5 164 010	34,16%	508
19	13	ANGLO PLATINUM CORP.	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	4 981 195	-7,12%	421
20	31	TRANSNET	SOUTH AFRICA	TRANSPORT	4 800 940	35,28%	412
22	37	AVENG	SOUTH AFRICA	DIVERSIFIED	4 553 101	45,49%	281
23	39	MURRAY & ROBERTS HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	CONSTRUCTION	4 551 847	54,44%	315
25	33	MTN SOUTH AFRICA	SOUTH AFRICA	TELECOMS	4 469 148	30,33%	0
26	40	SPAR GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	4 348 781	53,92%	100
28	32	SAB MILLER SOUTH AFRICA	SOUTH AFRICA	BEVERAGES	4 214 000	21,69%	0
29	36	ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	4 145 041	31,77%	-372
30	46	GOLD FIELDS	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	3 921 496	61,32%	207
32	7	DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	3 840 000	-44,25%	-743
34	58	NASPERS	SOUTH AFRICA	MEDIA	3 774 690	74,13%	532
35	24	DATATEC	SOUTH AFRICA	ICT	3 738 026	-10,82%	29
36	30	GRINDROD	SOUTH AFRICA	SEA TRANSPORT	3 733 441	4,75%	126
37	25	IMPALA PLATINUM HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	3 521 633	-11,39%	811
38	23	ARCELOR MITTAL SOUTH AFRICA	SOUTH AFRICA	METAL, STEEL	3 451 122	-18,16%	-64
40	41	SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS	SOUTH AFRICA	AIR TRANSPORT	3 420 977	22,65%	51
42	43	EDGARS CONSOLIDATED STORES	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	3 353 782	25,99%	-142
43	54	KUMBA RESOURCES	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	3 155 867	39,85%	940
44	52	NETWORK HEALTHCARE HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	HEALTH	3 132 138	36,40%	236
45	51	OLD MUTUAL LIFE ASSURANCE CO.	SOUTH AFRICA	INSURANCE	3 113 129	35,48%	725
47	37	ALLIED ELECTRONICS CORP.	SOUTH AFRICA	ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT	3 011 340	15,08%	73
48	50	LIBERTY GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	INSURANCE	2 965 770	26,11%	31
49	59	WOOLWORTHS HOLDINGS (WHL)	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	2 955 564	39,42%	169
51	60	TIGER BRANDS	SOUTH AFRICA	AGRIBUSINESS	2 754 427	31,09%	335
52	66	NAMPAK	SOUTH AFRICA	PACKAGING	2 640 531	35,41%	27
55	74	MEDI CLINIC CORP.	SOUTH AFRICA	HEALTH	2 310 950	33,78%	142
57	65	MC CARTHY RETAIL	SOUTH AFRICA	AUTO DEALER	2 219 676	13,57%	0
59	80	PIONEER FOODS GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	AGRIBUSINESS	2 195 397	39,61%	75
60	85	MASSCASH	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	2 051 381	42,66%	0
61	84	EXXARO RESOURCES	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	2 023 513	38,36%	137
62	101	WILSON BAYLY HOLMES - OVCON	SOUTH AFRICA	CONSTRUCTION	1 991 131	74,77%	129
69	89	JD GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	1 742 144	30,77%	10
70	94	SANTAM	SOUTH AFRICA	INSURANCE	1 738 369	40,44%	150
71	97	NEW CLICKS HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	1 719 522	44,27%	63
75	134	HOSKEN CONSOLIDATED INVESTMENTS	SOUTH AFRICA	DIVERSIFIED	1 636 266	92,17%	179
77	122	GROUP FIVE HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	CONSTRUCTION	1 630 006	73,36%	72
79	96	REMGRO	SOUTH AFRICA	DIVERSIFIED	1 597 482	32,00%	426
80	117	HARMONY GOLD MINING CO.	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	1 549 891	59,28%	394
84	106	MASSDISCOUNTERS	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	1 510 793	37,41%	87
85	142	MONDI GROUP SOUTH AFRICA	SOUTH AFRICA	PAPER	1 501 490	81,66%	-10
86	151	TONGAAT-HULETT GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	AGRIBUSINESS	1 501 356	99,98%	408
87	108	MASSWAREHOUSE	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	1 496 826	40,22%	0
88	114	DISTELL GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	BEVERAGES	1 464 648	47,33%	128
89	81	AECI	SOUTH AFRICA	CHEMICALS	1 443 787	-4,70%	56
90	99	REUNERT	SOUTH AFRICA	ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT	1 384 709	20,01%	158
91	107	METROPOLITAN LIFE	SOUTH AFRICA	INSURANCE	1 380 557	25,59%	154
92	87	AFRICAN RAINBOW MINERALS	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	1 360 873	-0,29%	386
93	125	GRINAKER - LTA	SOUTH AFRICA	CONSTRUCTION	1 325 415	42,84%	0
95	124	MR PRICE GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	1 303 477	39,30%	90
96	90	SUPER GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	AUTOMOBILE	1 247 622	-4,87%	-182
97	118	ALLIED TECHNOLOGIES	SOUTH AFRICA	ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT	1 240 344	28,11%	70
101	132	ASTRAL FOODS	SOUTH AFRICA	AGRIBUSINESS	1 190 951	37,74%	46
102	98	OMNIA HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	CHEMICALS	1 190 056	1,38%	7
103	119	ASSORE	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	1 188 931	22,87%	437
104	105	AFGRI	SOUTH AFRICA	AGRIBUSINESS	1 183 777	5,93%	47
107	109	FOSCHINI	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	1 160 153	9,93%	146
109	127	ILLOVO SUGAR	SOUTH AFRICA	AGRIBUSINESS	1 141 642	25,63%	89
110	210	ASPEN PHARMACARE HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	PHARMACEUTICALS	1 125 787	118,30%	180
112	78	PETROSA	SOUTH AFRICA	PETROLEUM	1 090 716	ND	-65
113	146	SUN INTERNATIONAL	SOUTH AFRICA	TOURISM	1 084 088	34,70%	67
115	-	LIFE HEALTHCARE GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	INSURANCE	1 069 078	ND	150
116	449	EQSTRA HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	AUTO DEALER	1 063 595	478,24%	6
117	56	LONMIN	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	1 062 000	-52,40%	-323
123	158	ANGLOVAAL INDUSTRIES	SOUTH AFRICA	AGRIBUSINESS	1 006 081	42,97%	68
124	150	NATIONAL PORTS AUTHORITY	SOUTH AFRICA	SEA TRANSPORT	1 005 892	33,91%	0
126	170	STEFANUTTI & BRESSAN	SOUTH AFRICA	DIVERSIFIED	992 952	48,79%	51
130	192	TRUWORTHS INTERNATIONAL	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	945 627	58,39%	194
132	156	RAINBOW CHICKEN	SOUTH AFRICA	AGRIBUSINESS	937 375	30,26%	47
133	144	MUTUAL & FEDERAL INSURANCE	SOUTH AFRICA	INSURANCE	926 753	14,38%	0
134	172	PRETORIA PORTLAND CEMENT CO.	SOUTH AFRICA	CONST. MATERIALS	914 484	38,54%	138
137	130	CHEMICAL SERVICES	SOUTH AFRICA	CHEMICALS	879 566	-1,29%	65
138	162	CMH GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	AUTO DEALER	877 344	26,17%	7
141	188	CLOVER HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	AGRIBUSINESS	844 327	39,34%	72
143	141	MONDI SHANDUKA NEWSPRINT*	SOUTH AFRICA	MEDIA	835 005	ND	0
149	191	MASSBUILD	SOUTH AFRICA	CONSTRUCTION	755 612	26,30%	0
151	260	MURRAY & ROBERTS CONSTRUCTION	SOUTH AFRICA	CONSTRUCTION	752 161	92,42%	19
154	227	BUSINESS CONNEXION GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	ICT	740 988	57,81%	14
159	169	MONDI PACKAGING SOUTH AFRICA	SOUTH AFRICA	PACKAGING	713 121	6,84%	0
160	220	PALABORA MINING CO.	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	712 372	46,44%	38
162	232	DISCOVERY HEALTH	SOUTH AFRICA	INSURANCE	699 177	54,15%	165
164	241	CASHBUILD	SOUTH AFRICA	CONST. MATERIALS	682 977	59,87%	23
167	213	ADCORP HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	EDUCATION	680 889	33,24%	14
170	164	AURECON HERITAGE COMPANIES	SOUTH AFRICA	ENGINEERING	668 000	-3,24%	0
173	190	AFRICAN OXYGEN	SOUTH AFRICA	CHEMICALS	646 462	7,99%	31
176	199	TRIDENT STEEL	SOUTH AFRICA	METAL, STEEL	642 296	13,97%	0
177	211	AVUSA	SOUTH AFRICA	MEDIA	635 272	23,34%	24
179	234	RAND WATER	SOUTH AFRICA	WATER	630 545	39,63%	80
180	276	BASIL READ HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	CONSTRUCTION	628 597	71,23%	36
182	237	RAUBEX	SOUTH AFRICA	CIV. ENGINEERING	617 864	40,49%	79
184	218	KAP INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	DIVERSIFIED	615 345	26,06%	-5
188	149	HULAMIN	SOUTH AFRICA	METAL	606 634	-19,35%	12
191	194	SOUTH AFRICAN POST OFFICE*	SOUTH AFRICA	POSTAL SERVICES	588 981	ND	38
196	239	ZURICH INSURANCE CO. SOUTH AFRICA	SOUTH AFRICA	INSURANCE	574 972	32,21%	-24
197	136	HIGHVELD STEEL & VANADIUM CORP.	SOUTH AFRICA	METAL, STEEL	573 255	-32,36%	21
200	-	ADCOCK INGRAM	SOUTH AFRICA	PHARMACEUTICALS	554 820	ND	106
201	253	LEWIS GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	554 191	37,78%	79
205	229	CTP HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	MEDIA	543 073	18,37%	123
210	224	INVICTA HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	AUTOMOBILE	535 083	11,96%	49
211	245	DISTRIBUTION & WAREHOUSING NETWORK	SOUTH AFRICA	RETAIL	533 517	28,31%	15
213	219	ILIAD AFRICA	SOUTH AFRICA	CONST. MATERIALS	528 563	8,50%	10
231	283	MUSTEK	SOUTH AFRICA	ICT	469 430	30,35%	7
233	304	MURRAY & ROBERTS CEMENTATION	SOUTH AFRICA	CONST. MATERIALS	463 916	46,37%	28
237	236	METAIR INVESTMENTS	SOUTH AFRICA	AUTOMOBILE	450 576	2,02%	7
241	303	OCEANA GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	AGRIBUSINESS	445 080	40,31%	29
248	311	GROWTHPOINT PROPERTIES	SOUTH AFRICA	REAL ESTATE	432 907	40,33%	0
251	248	NORTHAM PLATINUM	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	429 542	4,62%	85
253	-	CONCOR	SOUTH AFRICA	CONSTRUCTION	425 492	ND	45
257	334	COMAIR	SOUTH AFRICA	AIR TRANSPORT	411 037	44,71%	9
259	-	MOOLMANS	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	406 617	ND	0
260	349	GIJIMA AST GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	ICT	406 393	52,96%	14
267	330	ASTRAPAK	SOUTH AFRICA	PAPER	382 636	31,71%	17
270	352	PINNACLE TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	ICT	382 042	44,86%	14
274	326	MERAFE RESOURCES	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	374 975	27,61%	138
281	195	BELL EQUIPMENT	SOUTH AFRICA	AUTOMOBILE	363 899	-36,90%	-35
288	250	SEARDEL INVESTMENT CORP.	SOUTH AFRICA	TEXTILES	348 769	-14,64%	-27
293	348	PEERMONT GLOBAL	SOUTH AFRICA	TOURISM	341 432	27,21%	-28
294	273	MVELAPHANDA GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	DIVERSIFIED	338 977	-9,34%	214
302	328	HUDACO INDUSTRIES	SOUTH AFRICA	AUTOMOBILE	326 306	11,68%	32
318	383	KELLY GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	HUMAN RESOURCES	304 284	28,98%	7
321	453	COUNTRY BIRD HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	AGRIBUSINESS	301 862	69,14%	16
323	390	GOLD REEF CASINO RESORTS	SOUTH AFRICA	CASINOS	300 545	29,48%	48
344	434	VOX TELECOM	SOUTH AFRICA	TELECOMS	280 767	43,90%	8
355	479	SANYATI HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	CIV. ENGINEERING	269 258	65,17%	7
361	323	TRENCOR	SOUTH AFRICA	SEA TRANSPORT	263 978	-10,89%	34
365	426	DRDGOLD	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	257 606	26,13%	17
373	-	ESORFRANKI	SOUTH AFRICA	CIV. ENGINEERING	250 471	ND	26
379	-	BUILDMAX	SOUTH AFRICA	CONST. MATERIALS	243 429	ND	-135
403	281	METMAR	SOUTH AFRICA	METAL, STEEL	227 119	-37,48%	21
405	478	FAMOUS BRANDS	SOUTH AFRICA	TOURISM	225 733	37,91%	25
427	480	PEREGRINE HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	FINANCE	208 282	27,89%	66
437	431	SANTOVA LOGISTICS	SOUTH AFRICA	TRANSPORT	201 336	1,08%	505
438	-	UMGENI WATER-AMANZI	SOUTH AFRICA	WATER	201 244	47,77%	71
445	424	ARGENT INDUSTRIAL	SOUTH AFRICA	CONST. MATERIALS	197 443	-4,13%	1
448	422	NU WORLD HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	TRANSPORT	194 559	-6,13%	3
449	498	CERAMIC INDUSTRIES	SOUTH AFRICA	CONST. MATERIALS	194 167	25,05%	12
450	-	BSI STEEL	SOUTH AFRICA	METAL, STEEL	193 746	ND	3
459	413	RECTRON HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	ICT	184 299	ND	8
474	465	ITALTILE	SOUTH AFRICA	CONST. MATERIALS	175 670	1,70%	34
477	488	DATACENTRIX HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	ICT	174 023	8,84%	10
483	-	CIPLA MEDPRO	SOUTH AFRICA	PHARMACEUTICALS	170 151	61,88%	21
485	-	EOH HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	ICT	169 208	68,42%	10
487	-	1TIME HOLDINGS	SOUTH AFRICA	AIR TRANSPORT	168 668	52,11%	5
488	-	UCS GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	ICT	168 204	29,89%	3
489	-	ELB GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	CONSTRUCTION	167 961	48,66%	7
492	359	METOREX	SOUTH AFRICA	MINING	167 409	-35,02%	-203

Taken from the Top 500 Companies

 South Africa's Top Banks

Rank 2010	Rank 2009	Company name	Country	TOTAL ASSETS	NET EARNINGS	CREDIT	DEPOSITS
1	1	STANDARD BANK GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	180 631 836	4 222 023	97 257 665	103 615 641
2	2	STANDARD BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA	SOUTH AFRICA	112 873 326	2 898 630	70 874 874	70 110 040
3	3	ABSA GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	96 765 707	2 946 356	67 899 397	47 289 059
4	5	NEDBANK GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	76 942 178	2 198 375	60 709 581	63 278 441
5	4	FIRSTRAND BANKING GROUP	SOUTH AFRICA	76 152 673	1 608 133	51 897 341	57 627 596
24	40	IMPERIAL BANK	SOUTH AFRICA	7 504 034	274 098	6 801 773	6 752 730
29	42	DEVELOPMENT BANK OF SOUTHERN AFRICA	SOUTH AFRICA	6 086 303	219 913	-	-
39	61	AFRICAN BANK	SOUTH AFRICA	4 618 798	1 558 519	2 761 923	-
69	80	LAND AND AG. DEV. BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA	SOUTH AFRICA	2 269 529	91 236	1 600 646	89 201
73	77	CALYON CREDIT AGRICOLE CIB*	SOUTH AFRICA	1 949 188	34 691	1 323 000	1 194 459
102	167	CAPITEC BANK	SOUTH AFRICA	1 279 202	17 167	704 453	992 319
108	120	SOCIETE GENERALE SOUTH AFRICA	SOUTH AFRICA	1 238 610	13 636	1 205 555	1 177 003
121	117	INVESTEC GROUP SOUTH AFRICA*	SOUTH AFRICA	1 073 827	6 233	106	-
140	154	MERCANTILE BANK	SOUTH AFRICA	784 482	36 168	489 339	572 526
186	-	SASFIN BANK	SOUTH AFRICA	428 883	21 512	242 876	118 828

 

FIGURES FOR 2009. US$ THOUSANDS. *2008 FIGURES.

Taken from the Top 200 Banks

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