South Africa imported 32 944 tonnes of electrical cable in the year to June 2026 – up from 23 091 tonnes two years earlier – an increase of about 43%.
However, the combined customs value barely changed. The average value declined from approximately R156 600 a tonne to R112 100 a tonne – a drop of about 28%.
In our view, this combination of sharply rising volumes and falling unit values should trigger an urgent investigation into possible dumping and its effect on South Africa’s cable manufacturing industry.
When more tonnes arrive every year while the average price per tonne continues to fall, it is not a normal market trend. Compliant local factories cannot manufacture cable at some of these import prices.
Local manufacturers must adhere to South African regulatory requirements. Our own laboratory testing indicates that some imported products fail one or more compliance tests. Someone is selling at prices that appear to be below a sustainable cost of production and South African factories and jobs are paying the price.
Low voltage is the hardest hit
Low-voltage cable is at the core of our manufacturing operations. Imports in this category increased from 17 080 tonnes in the year to June 2024 to 21 607 tonnes in the year to June 2026.
That volume is roughly equivalent to nine months of our production capacity. In value terms, it is in the same order as our annual turnover.
Over the same period, the average customs value of imported low-voltage cable declined from R170 123 to R126 275 per tonne – a decrease of almost 26%.
This is a direct displacement of potential local output. Low-voltage cable is used in homes, mines, factories, commercial buildings and renewable energy connections.
It is also a product we test every day in our laboratory. Some imported products we have tested have failed to meet the standards required of local manufacturers. Cheap cable may look the same on a drum but it does not necessarily perform the same in service.
Increase extends across voltage range
The trend is not confined to low-voltage cable.
Imports of medium- and high-voltage cable more than doubled over two years, rising from 4 425 tonnes to 9 100 tonnes. In the latest year alone, imports increased by 32% from 6 885 tonnes to 9 100 tonnes.
The average customs value in this category declined from R141 386 per tonne two years ago to R94 739 per tonne.
Imports of aluminium conductor steel-reinforced cable, which is used on overhead power lines, increased by about 41% from 1 586 tonnes to 2 237 tonnes over the same period. The average value declined from R53 949 to R45 589 per tonne.
This is not simply one tariff line experiencing an unusual year. Low-, medium- and high-voltage and overhead conductor imports are all moving in the same direction: higher volumes and lower average values.
That does not, on its own, constitute a formal finding of dumping. It does, however, provide sufficient reason for the authorities to examine the countries of origin, export prices, normal values and effect on domestic manufacturers.
Jobs are already affected
The pressure from imports is showing up in lost shifts and jobs across the local industry. Established South African cable manufacturers are retrenching workers or considering layoffs.
The consequences extend beyond factory gates. Local cable plants support suppliers of copper, PVC, steel wire and cable drums as well as transport companies and testing laboratories.
Not an abstraction, 21 000 tonnes of low-voltage imports represents months of local production that did not take place and work that could have supported South African employees and suppliers.
Uneven regional trade
The pressure is compounded by uneven regional trade conditions.
Zambia is a Southern African Development Community partner and qualifying Zambian-origin cable can enter South Africa duty-free. Industry reports indicate that South African cable entering Zambia may still face duties of around 10%, depending on its tariff classification, as well as local taxes.
Preferential access on paper and the actual landed cost of a product are not necessarily the same thing.
We are being asked to compete in our domestic market against duty-free regional products and low-priced goods from third countries while potentially facing duties when selling into neighbouring markets. That does not resemble a balanced regional market.
The relevant authorities should examine whether imported products claiming preferential access comply fully with the applicable rules of origin and whether South African exporters receive reciprocal treatment in practice.
Safety is the hidden cost
Our accredited in-house laboratory continues to test imported products against the local and international standards that South African factories must meet.
The problems we have identified include inferior conductors, insufficient insulation and missing certification. These shortcomings can lead to overheating, fires, operational downtime, invalid certificates of compliance and insurance disputes.
Cheap cable is only cheap until it fails. The country then pays through outages, repairs and risks to people and property.
South Africa has the factories, technical expertise and laboratory capacity to manufacture safe and compliant cable. What it needs is a market in which compliant products can still compete fairly.
We are not asking the public or the authorities simply to accept the industry’s word. The import data should be examined: about 43% more cable entered the country than two years earlier while the average customs value per tonne declined by approximately 28%.
Those trends do not by prove dumping but they are serious enough to warrant urgent and independent investigation.
