Crude Steel Production

South Africa’s crude steel production fell to 356,300 tonnes in October 2025, a 12.4% decrease compared to the same month in 2024. For the period January–October 2025, cumulative output reached 3.89 million tonnes, representing a 4.9% year-on-year decline.

The contraction is driven by softer domestic demand and the decommissioning of the Newcastle blast furnace, which removed a significant portion of national capacity. Some substitution is expected as domestic producers utilise available spare capacity to partially bridge the gap. Specialised long-product requirements, however, are likely to be met through imports in the short term.