South Africa
The performance of the South African Steel Industry, so far the most successful in Africa, can be attributed to the socio-cultural peculiarities of this 1st world country within a 3rd world nation.
The massive European investment in the steel and other sectors has significantly improved the welfare of at least the white South African minority.
The steel industry in the Country therefore was developed in line with events in the industry in Western Europe. It is to be noted that South Africa even out produces some of the developed countries in Europe and the Far East as far as steelproduction is concerned.
Their total output in 2005 was 9.5 million tonnes of crude steel representing 55.50% of Africa’s production and is ranked 28th in the world steel producing companies.
ISCOR is the largest South African steel producer. There are few re-rolling mills melting scraps and they contribute some 300,000 tonnes over and above the production of ISCOR.
Many other finishing mills depend on ISCOR for their billets or flat sheets for their down stream process. South Africa exports steel to the USA and some other African countries.