The Printing Industry in South Africa 2024

Challenges

Digital printing uptake remains slow. Expensive and insecure local paper supply. Lack of demand for printing. There is a lack of industry data.

Introduction

The disruption that digitally-published media has brought to the printing industry cannot be underestimated. There has been a substantial decline in demand for printed newspapers and magazines, once the staple of the industry. Although there are 1,600 printing companies in South Africa, mostly small businesses, the industry is dominated by large, listed printing companies built on long-term contracts with high volume orders. Pockets of growth include packaging, retail, advertising, and security printing for African governments, which are providing revenue diversification. A significant opportunity is digital printing processes for short-run and variable printing orders. The growth of digital printing has led to the growth of small print shops and bureaus.

Opportunities

Book printing (especially education). Large format printing for the outdoor advertising industry. Printing onto packaging. Retail leaflet printing. Security printing (such as ID documents, passports).

Outlook

The outlook for the printing industry is poor and characterised by further decline, driven by the digital publication of previously printed media. Companies able to invest in digital printing machinery which can print onto a wide range of materials using environmentally-friendly inks, may continue to grow. Digital printing is opening the way for smaller companies to open print shops and offer localised, small run services. The industry is expected to consolidate and diversify further into packaging, retail, stationery, educational book and security printing. Expansion into Africa is expected to be a key component of this diversification.

Report Coverage

This report on the printing industry in South Africa includes information on digitisation, newspaper and magazine circulation, manufacturing output, revenue and capacity utilisation, notable players, and corporate actions. There is information on influencing factors such as input costs, technology and innovation, and new opportunities. The report includes profiles of sixty-seven companies such as the state-owned Government Printing Woks, major players such as Media24, Novus, CTP, Bidvest, Mpact and Nampak, label and packaging printers such as Universal Labels, Taurus Packaging and SA Label Printers, and printing franchises such as Jetline.

Trends

Increased adoption of digital printing to reduce costs and attract customers. Industry decline is driving innovation, consolidation, product diversification, and increased focus on supplying customers in Africa. Local paper supply is reducing, shifting the industry’s dependence to imports. The decline has accelerated since the pandemic. The digitisation of previously printed media is resulting in decreased demand. The industry is focused on cost-cutting and reducing capacity. The industry is growing in its ability to print onto recyclable and biodegradable material using environmentally-friendly ink. The industry is looking to retail and advertising customers to boost demand.