STRUCTURE OF SA THE ECONOMY According to the world fact book, agriculture accounts for 3.

4% of the total GDP of the country as of the year 200 . !he "a#or agricultural $roducts of the country are citrus and deciduous fruits, corn, wheat, dairy $roducts, sugarcane, tobacco and wool. !he industrial sector in the country $lays a %ery significant role in the country. !he "a#or industries of the country are &' (ining that includes $latinu", Gold, )hro"iu", Dia"onds, 2' Auto"obile asse"bly 3' (etalworking 4' (achinery ' !e*tile +' ,ron, -teel .' )he"icals /' 0ertili1er and 2' 0oodstuffs. !he "anufacturing industry in the country co%ers %arious s$eciali1ed sectors including railway rolling stock, synthetic fuels and "achinery. !he following diagra" shows the $ercentage share of %arious sectors of the econo"y in the total GDP. !he contribution of the agricultural sector in the total GDP has followed a declining $ath in the recent years. !he ser%ices sector in the country has brought enor"ous success for the country.

STRUCUTURE OF US THE ECONOMY -er%ices ha%e the highest contribution to the 3GDP, followed by ,ndustry. 4eing an industriali1ed nation agriculture accounts for a %ery "arginal share in the total national inco"e. A"ong the other hu"an de%elo$"ent indicators, while there is a %ery s"all nu"ber li%ing below the $o%erty line, all the $eo$le in A"erica en#oy access to an i"$ro%ed water source. 5iteracy rate o%er the age & is &00% and so is the gross $ri"ary enroll"ent rate, with an e6uitable distribution between the two se*es of the $o$ulation.

Des$ite the generally $ros$erous A"erican econo"y as a whole, concerns about ine6uality continue. !he black $o$ulation is the "ost %ulnerable grou$ as global co"$etition has threatened workers in "any traditional "anufacturing industries, and their wages ha%e stagnated. During the &2/0s, the federal go%ern"ent edged away fro" ta* $olicies that sought to fa%our lower7inco"e fa"ilies at the e*$ense of wealthier ones, and it also cut s$ending on a nu"ber of do"estic social $rogra"s intended to hel$ the disad%antaged. (eanwhile, wealthier fa"ilies rea$ed "ost of the gains fro" the boo"ing stock "arket. ,n the late &220s, there were so"e signs these $atterns were re%ersing, as wage gains accelerated 77 es$ecially a"ong $oorer workers. 4ut it is still too early to deter"ine whether this trend would continue in the 2&st century. ROLE OF MARKET VS GOVERNMENT US is a market-oriented econom , where $ri%ate indi%iduals and business fir"s "ake "ost of the decisions, and the federal and state go%ern"ents

buy needed goods and ser%ices $redo"inantly in the $ri%ate "arket$lace. 3business fir"s en#oy considerably greater fle*ibility than their counter$arts in 8estern 9uro$e and :a$an in decisions to e*$and ca$ital $lant, lay off sur$lus workers, and de%elo$ new $roducts. At the sa"e ti"e, they face higher barriers to entry in their ri%als; ho"e "arkets than the barriers to entry of foreign fir"s in 3- "arkets. !he A"erican !e"ie# in $#ree enter%rise$ &as not !arred a ma'or ro"e #or (o)ernment* howe%er. Peo$le in the 3- rely on go%ern"ent to address "atters the $ri%ate econo"y o%erlooks, fro" education to $rotecting the en%iron"ent. And des$ite their ad%ocacy of "arket $rinci$les, they ha%e used go%ern"ent at ti"es to nurture new industries, and at ti"es e%en to $rotect A"erican co"$anies fro" co"$etition. !his is %isible fro" the highly subsidi1ed agriculture in the 3-. !his has been a contentious issue a"ong the trade gurus in the de%elo$ing countries and they ha%e been de"anding that 3- slash these subsidies. 3- fir"s are at or near the %anguard in technological ad%ances, es$ecially in co"$uters and in "edical, aeros$ace, and "ilitary e6ui$"ent, although their ad%antage has narrowed since the end of 8orld 8ar ,,. !he onrush of technology largely e*$lains the gradual de%elo$"ent of a <two7tier labor "arket< in which those at the botto" lack the education and the $rofessional=technical skills of those at the to$ and, "ore and "ore, fail to get co"$arable $ay raises, health insurance co%erage, and other benefits.

South Africa's key economic sectors: agriculture, chemicals, energy, financial services, information technology, manufacturing, mining, telecommunications