nd the highest 10 percent receive 47.3 percent. In 1997, the active labor force was estimated at 15 million people. Of the types of jobs held, 35 percent were in services, 30 percent in agriculture, 20 percent in industry, 9 percent in mining, and 6 percent in other occupations. In 1998, the unemployment rate was estimated at 32.6 percent in 1995. The industry sector contributes about 32 percent of the GDP and manufactures a wide variety of consumer goods which include, food and beverage products, textiles, footwear and clothing, metal products and machinery, iron and steel, electric machinery, motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts, fertilizers, and wood and paper products. South Africa’s advanced industrial sector has made it the twenty-fifth largest economy in the world. South Africa produced more than one-third of Africa’s goods and services and nearly 40 percent of its manufacturing output (“Introduction: Economic Profile," 1999).There is also some special interest in the industry sector in computer equipment and software, health care technology, and franchising. South Africa’s computer market was valued at close to $1 billion in 1994 and is changing its focus from mainframes to personal computers and PC-based networks. It is also boosting demand for laptop and notebook computers and peripheral equipment such as printers, storage, and other add-on hardware. The information services are estimated at $500 million and are growing rapidly at 16 percent annually. More than $250 million per year is made by producing medical equipment and medical products and has an annual growth rate of 5 percent. There are approximately 90 franchisers currently in South Africa today. The largest is the fast food industry, followed by automobile servicing, educational training, hair care salons, and industrial cleaning services (Library of Congress, 90).South Africa South Africa also has a dual agriculture sector. The...
