South African SIC vs International ISIC - How They Compare
Comparison between South Africa's SIC 7 and the UN's ISIC Rev 4 international classification. Differences, extra codes, and cross-referencing guide.
South Africa's Standard Industrial Classification 7th Edition (SIC 7) is directly derived from the United Nations' International Standard Industrial Classification Revision 4 (ISIC Rev 4). The two systems are nearly identical up to the 4-digit class level, with South Africa adding a 5th digit for local specificity.
Key Similarities
Both systems use the same 21 letter-coded sections (A through U), the same 88 two-digit divisions, the same 238 three-digit groups, and nearly identical four-digit classes (420 in ISIC Rev 4 vs 419 in SIC 7). The structure, hierarchy, and naming conventions are intentionally aligned to allow international comparability.
Key Differences
| Feature | ISIC Rev 4 (UN) | SIC 7 (South Africa) |
|---|---|---|
| Published by | UN Statistics Division | Statistics South Africa |
| Deepest level | 4-digit Class | 5-digit Subclass |
| Total subclasses | 420 classes | 521 subclasses |
| Extra class | - | 8414 (Extra-budgetary accounts) |
| Division 45 | Motor vehicle wholesale/retail only | Includes automotive fuel retail (4550) |
| Section U | Extraterritorial organisations | Expanded to include economically inactive people (99012-99014) |
The 5th Digit
South Africa's unique contribution is the 5-digit subclass level. While ISIC Rev 4 stops at 4 digits (e.g., 8610 = Hospital activities), SIC 7 adds a 5th digit to capture South African specifics (e.g., 86100 = Hospital activities, 86201 = Medical practitioner activities, 86202 = Dentist activities).
This means that any 4-digit ISIC Rev 4 code can be converted to South African SIC 7 by looking at the 5-digit codes that start with those same 4 digits. For example, ISIC 4710 (Retail sale in non-specialised stores) maps to SIC 7 codes 47110 and 47190.
Class 8414
The only structural difference at the 4-digit level is that South Africa added class 8414 (Extra-budgetary accounts n.e.c.) which does not exist in ISIC Rev 4. This was added to accommodate South African government accounting practices.