South Africa 61st / 137

The Global Competitiveness Index 2017-2018 edition

Key indicators, 2016 Source: International Monetary Fund; World Economic Outlook Database (April 2017)

Population millions 55.9 GDP per capita US$ 5,260.9

GDP US$ billions 294.1 GDP (PPP) % world GDP 0.62

Performance overview
Index Component Rank/137 Score (1-7) Trend Distance from best Edition 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18

Global Competitiveness Index 61 4.3 Rank 52 / 144 53 / 148 56 / 144 49 / 140 47 / 138 61 / 137
Subindex A: Basic requirements 92 4.3 Score 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.3
1st pillar: Institutions 76 3.8
1st pillar:
2nd pillar: Infrastructure 61 4.3 Institutions
12th pillar: 2nd pillar:
3rd pillar: Macroeconomic environment 82 4.5 Innovation 7 Infrastructure

4th pillar: Health and primary education 121 4.5

11th pillar: 3rd pillar:
Subindex B: Efciency enhancers 52 4.4 Business Macroeconomic
sophistication environment

5th pillar: Higher education and training 85 4.1

10th pillar: 1 4th pillar:
6th pillar: Goods market efciency 54 4.5 Market size Health and primary
education

7th pillar: Labor market efciency 93 4.0

9th pillar: 5th pillar:
8th pillar: Financial market development 44 4.4 Technological
readiness
Higher education
and training

9th pillar: Technological readiness 54 4.6

8th pillar: 6th pillar:
Financial market Goods market
10th pillar: Market size 30 4.9 development efciency
7th pillar:
Labor market
Subindex C: Innovation and sophistication factors 39 4.1 efciency

11th pillar: Business sophistication 37 4.5

South Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
12th pillar: Innovation 39 3.8

South Africa (61st) remains one of the most competitive countries in is currently estimated above 25 percent and rising. Political uncertainty
sub-Saharan Africa, and among the regions most innovative (39th) in 2017 has decreased the condence of South African business
but it drops 14 positions in the overall rankings this year. South Africas leaders: although still relatively good in the African context, the
economy is nearly at a standstill, with GDP growth forecast at just 1.0 countrys institutional environment (76th), nancial markets (44th), and
percent in 2017 and 1.2 percent in 2018hit by persistently low goods market efciency (54th) are all rated as weaker than last year.
international demand for its commodities, while its unemployment rate

Most problematic factors for doing business Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey 2017

Corruption 14.3
Crime and theft 12.1
Government instability/coups 10.2
Tax rates 7.4
Inefcient government bureaucracy 7.0
Poor work ethic in national labor force 6.6
Restrictive labor regulations 6.3
Inadequately educated workforce 6.1
Ination 5.9
Access to nancing 5.7
Policy instability 5.3
Inadequate supply of infrastructure 3.0
Insufcient capacity to innovate 2.8
Tax regulations 2.8
Poor public health 2.3
Foreign currency regulations 2.2
0 4 8 12 16

Note: From the list of factors, respondents to the World Economic Forum's Executive Opinion Survey were asked to select the ve most problematic factors for doing business in their country
and to rank them between 1 (most problematic) and 5. The score corresponds to the responses weighted according to their rankings.
The Global Competitiveness Index in detail South Africa
Index Component Rank/137 Value Trend Index Component Rank/137 Value Trend

1st pillar: Institutions 76 3.8 6th pillar: Goods market efciency 54 4.5
1.01 Property rights 56 4.5 6.01 Intensity of local competition 44 5.4
1.02 Intellectual property protection 36 4.8 6.02 Extent of market dominance 52 3.9
1.03 Diversion of public funds 109 2.6 6.03 Effectiveness of anti-monopoly policy 28 4.5
1.04 Public trust in politicians 114 2.0 6.04 Effect of taxation on incentives to invest 59 3.7
1.05 Irregular payments and bribes 91 3.4 6.05 Total tax rate % prots 31 28.8
1.06 Judicial independence 36 4.9 6.06 No. of procedures to start a business 70 7
1.07 Favoritism in decisions of government ofcials 127 2.0 6.07 Time to start a business days 125 43.0
1.08 Efciency of government spending 103 2.6 6.08 Agricultural policy costs 78 3.6
1.09 Burden of government regulation 89 3.2 6.09 Prevalence of non-tariff barriers 69 4.4
1.10 Efciency of legal framework in settling disputes 31 4.6 6.10 Trade tariffs % duty 78 6.3
1.11 Efciency of legal framework in challenging regulations 36 4.0 6.11 Prevalence of foreign ownership 47 4.9
1.12 Transparency of government policymaking 74 3.9 6.12 Business impact of rules on FDI 85 4.3
1.13 Business costs of terrorism 92 4.7 6.13 Burden of customs procedures 66 4.2
1.14 Business costs of crime and violence 133 2.6 6.14 Imports % GDP 89 36.1
1.15 Organized crime 122 3.6 6.15 Degree of customer orientation 67 4.6
1.16 Reliability of police services 118 3.2 6.16 Buyer sophistication 35 3.9
1.17 Ethical behavior of rms 72 3.8
1.18 Strength of auditing and reporting standards 30 5.4
7th pillar: Labor market efciency 93 4.0

1.19 Efcacy of corporate boards 34 5.3 7.01 Cooperation in labor-employer relations 137 3.1
1.20 Protection of minority shareholders interests 30 4.9 7.02 Flexibility of wage determination 132 3.4
1.21 Strength of investor protection 0-10 (best) 21 7.0 7.03 Hiring and ring practices 125 2.9
7.04 Redundancy costs weeks of salary 27 9.3
2nd pillar: Infrastructure 61 4.3 7.05 Effect of taxation on incentives to work 83 3.7
2.01 Quality of overall infrastructure 72 4.1 7.06 Pay and productivity 99 3.5
2.02 Quality of roads 50 4.4 7.07 Reliance on professional management 43 4.6
2.03 Quality of railroad infrastructure 47 3.5 7.08 Country capacity to retain talent 78 3.3
2.04 Quality of port infrastructure 37 4.8 7.09 Country capacity to attract talent 66 3.3
2.05 Quality of air transport infrastructure 25 5.6 7.10 Female participation in the labor force ratio to men 72 0.80
2.06 Available airline seat kilometers millions/week 29 1,273.6
2.07 Quality of electricity supply 97 3.9 8th pillar: Financial market development 44 4.4

2.08 Mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions /100 pop. 27 142.4 8.01 Availability of nancial services 32 5.0
2.09 Fixed-telephone lines /100 pop. 93 6.6 8.02 Affordability of nancial services 48 4.1
8.03 Financing through local equity market 25 4.6
3rd pillar: Macroeconomic environment 82 4.5 8.04 Ease of access to loans 62 3.9
3.01 Government budget balance % GDP 81 -3.5 8.05 Venture capital availability 66 2.9
3.02 Gross national savings % GDP 95 16.2 8.06 Soundness of banks 37 5.5
3.03 Ination annual % change 105 6.3 8.07 Regulation of securities exchanges 46 4.8
3.04 Government debt % GDP 69 50.5 8.08 Legal rights index 0-10 (best) 69 5
3.05 Country credit rating 0-100 (best) 63 54.0
9th pillar: Technological readiness 54 4.6
4th pillar: Health and primary education 121 4.5 9.01 Availability of latest technologies 45 5.2
4.01 Malaria incidence cases/100,000 pop. 30 21.2 9.02 Firm-level technology absorption 38 5.0
4.02 Business impact of malaria 31 4.7 9.03 FDI and technology transfer 60 4.5
4.03 Tuberculosis incidence cases/100,000 pop. 137 834.0 9.04 Internet users % pop. 76 54.0
4.04 Business impact of tuberculosis 132 3.3 9.05 Fixed-broadband Internet subscriptions /100 pop. 98 2.8
4.05 HIV prevalence % adult pop. 134 18.9 9.06 Internet bandwidth kb/s/user 11 263.0
4.06 Business impact of HIV/AIDS 128 3.2 9.07 Mobile-broadband subscriptions /100 pop. 71 58.6
4.07 Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births 105 33.6
4.08 Life expectancy years 129 57.4
10th pillar: Market size 30 4.9

4.09 Quality of primary education 116 3.0 10.01 Domestic market size index 30 4.8
4.10 Primary education enrollment rate net % 50 97.1 10.02 Foreign market size index 36 5.3
10.03 GDP (PPP) PPP $ billions 30 739.4
5th pillar: Higher education and training 85 4.1 10.04 Exports % GDP 83 30.3
5.01 Secondary education enrollment rate gross % 54 98.8
5.02 Tertiary education enrollment rate gross % 99 19.4
11th pillar: Business sophistication 37 4.5

5.03 Quality of the education system 114 2.8 11.01 Local supplier quantity 46 4.7
5.04 Quality of math and science education 128 2.6 11.02 Local supplier quality 42 4.7
5.05 Quality of management schools 45 4.5 11.03 State of cluster development 29 4.5
5.06 Internet access in schools 95 3.6 11.04 Nature of competitive advantage 58 3.7
5.07 Local availability of specialized training services 54 4.6 11.05 Value chain breadth 46 4.2
5.08 Extent of staff training 39 4.3 11.06 Control of international distribution 38 4.1
11.07 Production process sophistication 40 4.5
11.08 Extent of marketing 30 4.9
11.09 Willingness to delegate authority 24 5.0

12th pillar: Innovation 39 3.8

12.01 Capacity for innovation 30 4.9
12.02 Quality of scientic research institutions 42 4.4
12.03 Company spending on R&D 32 4.3
12.04 University-industry collaboration in R&D 29 4.4
12.05 Gov't procurement of advanced technology products 57 3.4
12.06 Availability of scientists and engineers 100 3.5
12.07 PCT patents applications/million pop. 49 5.8

Note: Values are on a 1-to-7 scale unless indicated otherwise. Trend lines depict evolution in values since the 2012-2013 edition (or earliest edition available). For detailed denitions,
sources, and periods, consult the interactive Economy Proles and Rankings at http://gcr.weforum.org/