Best Prospects for U.S. Companies

The traditional main U.S. export commodities are petroleum, aircraft, ICT, transportation, power generation and transmission equipment, machinery, organic chemicals and pharmaceutical products. U.S. companies are making inroads in environmental technologies, safety and security and motor vehicles. U.S. brands are increasingly enjoying broad consumer awareness and acceptance.

U.S. exports in the following best prospect sectors have immediate possibility of success in South Africa:
* Airport and Ground Support Equipment
* Telecommunication Equipment
* Telecommunication Services
* Mining Equipment
* Safety and Security
* Electrical Power Systems
* Health Care Equipment and Technology
* Pollution Control Equipment
* Automotive Parts and Service

Growth sectors with good prospects for the future include:
* Tourism Infrastructure Development
* Energy
* Textiles
* Franchising

Major Projects in South Africa
There are few massive construction projects in South Africa. The SA Government is wary of subsidizing low employment, capital-intensive projects that do not benefit the local economy or add to the over-centralization of the primate economy of Gauteng province (which includes the cities of Pretoria, Johannesburg and Vereeniging) that accounts for approximately 65% of all economic activity. The U.S. Government has been instrumental in providing the initial support for many other projects in the country with the facilities of US Trade and Development Agency (US TDA).

The following are some large development projects under way or close to completion:
* SASOL Refineries Turbo upgrade
* Coega deep-sea port and aluminum smelter
* Maputo Corridor (rail and road upgrade to Mozambique)
* Off-shore oil and gas exploration
* Taxi vehicle recapitalization project
* Gautrain high-speed commuter rail network
* Motor Industry Development Plan (MIDP)
* Dube / La Mercy International Airport in Durban, a greenfields multi-modal transportation hub development.