South Africa has historically relied on its manufacturing sector to drive economic growth and job creation. The manufacturing sector is a significant employer in the country and accounts for about 13% of the country’s GDP. However, the sector has been struggling in recent years, with declining productivity, rising costs, and increased competition from other countries. Lerato Mbele was joined by Elias Monage, president of the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA), Simon Schaefer, economist at Deloitte Africa and Annabel Bishop, chief economist at Investec.