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    South Africa

    Extended
    Africa · #88 of 117 markets · IEPA 2024 (final) · 2026 current estimate available
    42.9▼ -1.5 YoY
    ●●○0.80IEPA COMPOSITE

    South Africa scores 42.9 out of 100 on the IEPA (2024 edition), ranking #88 of 117 economies. That is down 1.5 points on the year before. Its strongest zone is Entrepreneurship Capacity at 76.6. Its binding constraint, the lowest-scoring of its six zones, is FDI Accelerator at 28.7. How the IEPA works →

    SIX FACTORS · CLICK ANY SCORE FOR ITS EVIDENCE
    IEPA TRAJECTORY · 2010–2026
    2010201220142016201820202022202420264044485256
    CAPITAL FLOWS · FDI NET INFLOWS % OF GDP
    2010201120122013201420152016201720182019202120232025-404812
    IE FDI intelligence · synced weekly
    PRODUCTIVE CAPABILITY
    IE COMPLEXITY LAYER · VINTAGE 2024
    #55of 145 ranked economies▼ 9 places since 2010
    How much productive know-how this market has demonstrated, read from the range and rarity of what it makes competitively.
    20102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202445495360
    CAPABILITY RANK · HIGHER IS BETTER
    1.77% / yr
    Implied growth
    Annual growth the current capability base points to.
    251
    Diversity
    Distinct products made at competitive scale.
    +0.38
    Capability score
    Standardized: 0 is the world average.
    +1.08
    Outlook
    Value of the new products within reach of what it already does.
    READ ALONGSIDE THE INDEX
    This market sits in the top 44% on productive capability but the bottom 29% on the IEPA composite. The productive base is running ahead of the system converting it, which points the diagnosis at conversion rather than capacity. Both figures rank the same 115 markets that carry each measure.
    INDUSTRY STRENGTHS · REVEALED FROM TRADE EVIDENCE
    VINTAGE 2022-2024
    POSITION IN THE PRODUCT SPACE
    IE COMPLEXITY LAYER · VINTAGE 2024
    Minerals25 of 48 made · 74% of the rest within reach
    Construction, Building, and Home Supplies34 of 104 made · 63% of the rest within reach
    Agriculture46 of 200 made · 62% of the rest within reach
    Industrial Chemicals and Metals29 of 157 made · 53% of the rest within reach
    Metalworking and Electrical Machinery and Parts17 of 155 made · 43% of the rest within reach
    Textile and Home Goods7 of 78 made · 27% of the rest within reach
    Textile Apparel and Accessories2 of 50 made · 13% of the rest within reach
    Electronic and Electrical Goods0 of 73 made · 3% of the rest within reach
    MADE COMPETITIVELYONE STEP AWAY
    Widest opening is Agriculture. This market makes 23% of that cluster today, and 62% of what it does not make sits one step from something it already does.
    Electronic and Electrical Goods is the furthest: 0% made, and only 3% of the rest is within one step. A move there means building capability rather than extending it.
    READ ON THE 160 OF 251 COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS THAT CARRY A POSITION IN THE CAPABILITY MAP
    POSITIONED TO BUILD NEXT
    IE COMPLEXITY LAYER · VINTAGE 2024
    Malt extract$24B world market
    Agrifood & FisheriesOPENS 0.11 · COMPLEXITY -0.34
    Bakery products$52B world market
    Agrifood & FisheriesOPENS 0.09 · COMPLEXITY -0.49
    Fiberboard of wood$10B world market
    Wood, Paper & FurnitureOPENS 0.08 · COMPLEXITY -0.25
    Bovine$10B world market
    Agrifood & FisheriesOPENS 0.07 · COMPLEXITY -0.53
    Spirits < 80% alcohol$39B world market
    Agrifood & FisheriesOPENS 0.06 · COMPLEXITY -0.46
    THE NEAREST OPTIONS AMONG 390 PRODUCTS ASSESSED · RANKED BY HOW MUCH EACH OPENS UP NEXT
    LIVE SIGNALS
    Healthleap raises $38M for its AI that flags hospital patients who may need a closer look - TechCrunch
    Google News · South Africa · Startups & Innovation · Oct 7 · Startup Ecosystem
    PEERS · EXTENDED
    🇦🇿Azerbaijan42.1→🇨🇮Cote d'Ivoire42.1→🇹🇹Trinidad and Tobago40.9→🇱🇾Libya40.7→
    ECOSYSTEM DENSITY
    IE Ecosystem Registry · 2026-07-17
    656organizations indexed across 11 types · 580 mapped
    Research organizations
    224
    Health research
    120
    Universities & research bodies
    114
    Corporate R&D
    67
    Incubators
    59
    Government bodies
    40
    Innovation hubs
    11
    Science & tech parks
    11
    Fab labs & makerspaces
    7
    SEZ authorities
    2
    Accelerators
    1
    Universities, corporate R&D, government bodies, incubators, accelerators, science parks, and special economic zones, indexed today.Explore the directory →
    ORGANIZATIONS
    a sample of 656 indexed
    Cybatar
    Accelerators · 2014
    Motheo TVET College
    Incubators · Bloemfontein
    French South Africa Tech Labs
    Incubators · Cape Town
    VUT Southern Gauteng Science and Technology Park
    Science & tech parks · Sebokeng
    The Innovation Hub
    Science & tech parks · Pretoria
    Coega Industrial Development Zone
    SEZ authorities · Cape town · 2001
    East London Industrial Development Zone
    SEZ authorities · Cape town · 2003
    Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection
    Universities & research bodies · Johannesburg
    South African Sugarcane Research Institute
    Universities & research bodies · Durban · 1925
    Nedbank (South Africa)
    Corporate R&D · Sandton · 1888
    BroadReach Healthcare (South Africa)
    Corporate R&D · Cape Town · 2003
    South African Medical Association
    Research organizations · Pretoria · 1998
    Members get the full directory, filters, and exports.See all 656 organizations →

    South Africa: common questions

    What is South Africa's IEPA score?
    South Africa scores 42.9 out of 100 on the IEPA, 2024 edition, which ranks it #88 of 117 economies.
    What is South Africa's strongest zone?
    Entrepreneurship Capacity, at 76.6. The six zones are scored separately, so a market's strengths stay visible instead of being averaged away.
    What is holding South Africa back?
    Its binding constraint is FDI Accelerator, at 28.7, the lowest of its six zones. The IEPA reports every zone separately so the constraint stays visible instead of being averaged into the composite.
    How does South Africa compare with its peers?
    The closest scored peers are Azerbaijan (42.1), Cote d'Ivoire (42.1), Trinidad and Tobago (40.9), Libya (40.7).
    What is the IEPA?
    The Innovation Ecosystem Prosperity Assessment (IEPA) scores economies across six zones: innovation capacity, entrepreneurship capacity, resilience, alignment, the FDI accelerator, and prosperity outcomes. Every score carries a confidence band and traces to the evidence behind it.
    Run the full diagnostic →Talk to IE about South Africa →