The Printing Industry

The South African printing industry, which generated revenue of R56bn in 2015, performs a valuable role in the South African economy and provides over 50,000 employment opportunities. There are an estimated 2,000 commercial printing companies operating in the country, the majority of which are small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). A further 1,000 companies provide pre-press services, such as design and layout, or post-press services, including finishing and binding.

A Changing Sector

In recent years fundamental changes have swept through the industry, with digital printing technologies emerging as mainstream processes at the expense of conventional analogue printing. As far-reaching technological advances, including 3D printing, disrupt the traditional print landscape, some local printers have had to reposition themselves in the market in order to remain relevant. Some sectors of the local industry are becoming more vertically integrated, with processes that would have been outsourced in the past increasingly being performed in-house. In keeping with current global trends, the South African printing industry is investing in new technologies that deliver enhanced printing quality. The rapid evolution of the industry has necessitated the upskilling of employees and although new recruits undergo training, there is a serious skills deficit. At the same time stakeholders fear that the migration from traditional printing processes to digital printing could result in job losses, as digital printing is more automated and less labour-intensive than analogue printing.

Report Coverage

The Printing Industry details the current state of the sector, the impact of digitisation and other factors influencing the success of the industry. The report also profiles 49 players in the market, including leaders in the General Printing and Print Finishing segments, Caxton & CTP Publishers and Printers Ltd and Novus Holdings Ltd, formerly the Paarl Media Group. Also profiled are Nampak, Mpact and AstraPak, the dominant companies in South Africa’s Print Packaging market.