ENGINEERING
CABLE IMPORTS THREATEN INDUSTRY
LOW-QUALITY IMPORTED CABLES HARM LOCAL MANUFACTURERS, DISRUPT SUPPLY CHAINS, AND RISK JOBS IN THE STEEL, PLASTICS, AND WOOD INDUSTRIES.
South Africa’ s cable manufacturing sector warns that the crisis caused by substandard imported power cables is spreading beyond its own industry, increasing pressure on key upstream suppliers such as PVC producers, wooden drum manufacturers, and steel wire suppliers.
According to Andre Smith, CEO of South Ocean Electric Wire( SOEW), the unchecked influx of imported cables is not only undermining local cable manufacturers but also harming the industries that supply essential raw materials.“ When local cable factories are forced to scale back or close, the impact ripples outward. Steel mills, plastics manufacturers and wooden drum suppliers all lose business. This cascading effect is already evident in factories posting losses and, in some cases, shutting down,” he warns.
PVC producers are particularly at risk, he states. Cable insulation depends heavily on locally produced PVC compounds, so any decrease in domestic cable manufacturing immediately reduces demand for PVC.
Likewise, wooden drum manufacturers, who make the spools used for transporting and deploying cables, are experiencing shrinking order books as imports bypass local supply chains.
Steel wire producers, supplying reinforcement materials for cable structures, are also seeing a decline in orders, adding pressure to an industry already affected by cheap Chinese steel imports, Smith notes.
“ The renewable energy sector highlights these dynamics,” he says.“ While South Africa is embarking on large-scale solar and wind projects, much of the equipment, including cables, is imported – predominantly from China.”
“ We’ re missing the opportunity to build a strong, localised renewable energy value chain,” Smith says.“ Instead of creating jobs and fostering investment locally, we’ re exporting them. Every imported cable means fewer orders for our PVC suppliers, fewer drums for local woodworkers, and less steel wire consumed by South African mills.”
This issue goes beyond just cables. The South African tyre industry has already experienced the impact of import dumping, with Goodyear’ s recent factory closure in the Eastern Cape leading to significant job losses. The steel industry has also raised concerns about cheap imports eroding local production capacity.
“ Industry experts argue that the SA Bureau of Standards( SABS) and the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications( NRCS) must play a stronger role in enforcing product standards and ensuring that imported goods undergo the necessary testing and certification processes.”
“ South Africa cannot afford to stand by while critical industries are hollowed out,” Smith warns.“ We need stronger enforcement of standards, fairer trade measures, and a genuine commitment to supporting local manufacturing, otherwise, we risk not only losing cable factories but also weakening the steel, plastics, and wood sectors that supply them.” IB
22 INBOUND SA / JANUARY 2026