South Africa’s cable manufacturing sector is under siege as a flood of cheap, substandard imports from China and Zambia threatens to dismantle a vital industry, putting thousands of jobs at risk and compromising public safety. Local manufacturers, including South Ocean Electric Wire (SOEW), are sounding the alarm after a disastrous Q1 2025, with import volumes soaring and domestic production plummeting.
Data from January to April 2025 reveals a staggering influx: according to the latest Commodity Trade Observer statistics, low-voltage cable imports surged to 5,805,897 units (up from 4,910,492 in 2024), medium/high-voltage imports hit 3,055,269 units (from 1,361,312), overhead conductor cables dropped to 438,763 units (from 628,570), and optical fibre imports increased to 891,520 units (from 839,590), yet prices plummeted, with China and Zambia dumping cables at suspiciously low rates such as R73.48 and R64.83 per unit for low-voltage.
“This mirrors the unethical tactics seen in the local tyre industry, prompting urgent calls for SARS to impose anti-dumping duties, as it did on tyres from Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia on June 3, 2025,” says SOEW COO Tertius Ness.
He adds that the crisis is exacerbated by companies allegedly buying into local businesses with the option of shutting down factories and flooding the market with imports. Ness warns, “Q1 2025 was a disaster for local manufacturers with volumes evaporating as imports poured in. Q2 continues this trend, forcing most firms onto short time. The future of our industry hangs by a thread and as a result, jobs as well.”
He says that South Africa’s cable industry boasts ample capacity to meet local demand, but this import surge, driven by prices as low as R40.76 per unit for Chinese low-voltage cables, undercut quality and safety. Substandard cables, failing standards like SANS IEC 62930, have already sparked fires, including a 2023 Cape Town blaze and a 2024 Durban explosion, echoing concerns raised in SOEW’s previous press releases on solar cable risks.
He notes that the statistics paint a grim picture: low-voltage imports from China alone reached 1,769,802 units, while Zambia contributed 283,711 units, both at prices needing investigation. “Medium/high-voltage imports from China soared to 2,255,091 units at R74.15, and overhead conductor cables were almost entirely Chinese at 438,413 units for R44.67.
“Optical fibre imports still saw China dominate under tariff 9001.10. These low-cost imports, often bypassing thermal endurance and UV resistance tests, degrade rapidly, risking arcing and efficiency losses. These are threats SOEW has long highlighted. The economic toll is severe, with local manufacturers like SOEW, producing high-quality tinned copper cables, losing ground to price-driven imports that can jeopardise numerous projects, including solar projects.”
He says that this unethical behaviour not only endangers cable safety but also sabotages South Africa’s economy, slashing both jobs and tax revenue. “We urge authorities to act swiftly, mirroring the tyre import crackdown, to investigate dumping and protect local industry. Failure to act risks irreparable damage, as illicit trade flagged across all cable types undermines a sector capable of self-sufficiency.”
