IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Income

The total income for the wholesale trade industry in 2012 was R1 105 476 million. The largest contributor to the total income was ‘wholesale trade in food, beverages and tobacco’ (R222 842 million or 20%), followed by ‘wholesale trade in machinery, equipment and supplies’ (R195 827 million or 18%), ‘wholesale trade in other household goods’ (R184 423 million or 17%) and ‘wholesale trade in solid, liquid and gaseous fuels and related products’ (R130 788 million or 12%). The total income represents an increase of 5,2% per annum over the income reported in the corresponding survey of 2009 (R948 330 million).

Expenditure

Expenditure in the wholesale trade industry in 2012 amounted to R1 078 225 million. The expenditure consisted primarily of ‘purchases’ (R861 280 million or 80%), followed by ‘salaries and wages’ (R74 820 million or 7%).

Employment

The total number of persons employed in the wholesale trade industry for the last pay period ended on or before 30 June 2012 was 452 247. ‘Wholesale trade in machinery, equipment and supplies’ employed the largest number of persons (87 452 or 19%), followed by ‘wholesale trade in food, beverages and tobacco’ (75 885 or 17%) and ‘wholesale trade in other household goods’ (61 775 or 14%).

 Employment in the wholesale trade industry increased by 0,9% per annum compared with the number of employees reported in the corresponding survey of 2009 (440 117).

The proportion of males out of the total persons employed was 64% and that of females was 36%. The industry with the highest proportion of males employed was ‘wholesale trade in metals and metal ores’ (75%), whilst ‘wholesale trade in textiles, clothing and footwear’ had the highest proportion of females employed (57%).

The proportion of females employed in the wholesale trade industry improved from 33% in 2009 to 36% in 2012. The highest proportion of females was employed by ‘other wholesale trade’ in 2009 at 50%.

Employment by enterprise size indicates that small and micro enterprises had the highest number of employees (219 617 or 49%), followed by large enterprises (181 759 or 40%) and medium enterprises (50 871 or 11%).