IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Income

The total income for the wholesale trade industry in 2018 was R1 898,3 billion. The total income represents an increase of 6,1% per annum over the income reported in the corresponding survey of 2015 (R1 587,4 billion). Comparing 2015 and 2018, large increases were reported for ‘wholesale trade in food, beverages and tobacco’ (+R101,5 billion), ‘wholesale trade in machinery, equipment and supplies’ (+R45,5 billion) and ‘wholesale trade in other household goods’ (+R39,0 billion).

Profit margin

The profit margin for the wholesale trade industry in 2018 was 2,6%. ‘Wholesale trade in machinery, equipment and supplies’ had the highest profit margin at 4,4%, followed by ‘wholesale trade in construction materials, hardware, plumbing and heating equipment and supplies’ at 4,0% and ‘wholesale trade in other household goods’ at 3,8%. ‘Wholesale trade in agricultural raw materials and livestock’ had the lowest profit margin of 0,6%. 

Employment

The total number of persons employed in the wholesale trade industry as at the end of June 2018 was 483 005. This represents an increase of 1,2% per annum over the employment recorded in 2015 (466 569 persons). ‘Wholesale trade in machinery, equipment and supplies’ employed the largest number of persons (113 307 or 23,5%), followed by ‘wholesale trade in food, beverages and tobacco’ (76 359 or 15,8%) and ‘general and other wholesale trade’ (69 520 or 14,4%).