Province

South Sulawesi

Overview Economy

Sulawesi - South Sulawesi

Located on the southern peninsula of Sulawesi Island, South Sulawesi is a province surrounded by several bodies of water and other provinces. To the north, it shares a border with Central Sulawesi and West Sulawesi. On the east, it is bordered by the Gulf of Bone and Southeast Sulawesi, while to the south, the Flores Sea laps the province’s shores.

Covering an area of 46,717 square kilometers, South Sulawesi is home to 9.3 million people, making it the most populous province on the island. Makassar, previously called Ujung Pandang, serves as the province’s capital city and is known as a major port city and center for trade and commerce. It is also recognized as one of the four most important cities in Indonesia for economic growth, alongside Medan, Jakarta, and Surabaya.

Given its large population, South Sulawesi features a diverse mix of ethnicities, religions, and languages. The main ethnic groups in the province include the Bugis, Makassar, Toraja, and Mandar people. In terms of religious beliefs, approximately 89 percent of the population adhere to Islam, followed by 7 percent following Christianity, less than 2 percent practicing Hinduism, and less than 1 percent following other beliefs.

Indonesian serves as the official language of the province. However, South Sulawesi also features a rich tapestry of local languages, with fourteen different local languages existing throughout the region. These languages, including Toraja, Bugis, Makassar, Mandar, Massenrempulu, and Lemolang, as well as Rampi, Seko, Bugis De, Wotu, and Bajo, contribute to the region's rich cultural legacy, each with its own distinctive qualities.

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Economic

As of 2023, South Sulawesi’s economy has been thriving, having acquired Rp 377 trillion in Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP). The province’s economic landscape is primarily driven by the construction sector, contributing Rp 46 trillion to the province’s GRDP. Additionally, agriculture ranks second, contributing Rp 42 trillion, followed by the fisheries sector with Rp 29 trillion.

South Sulawesi is poised for a significant economic boost, particularly due to the region’s booming construction sector. The province’s strategic investments in infrastructure development include modernized transportation networks, healthcare facilities, and educational institutions. Additionally, South Sulawesi has several national strategic projects (PSN) underway, with two completed PSNs focused on the province’s infrastructure, namely the Makassar New Port, which serves as the backbone of maritime transportation in eastern Indonesia, and the Makassar-Parepare Railway, facilitating travel between Makassar and Parepare.

Agriculture-wise, South Sulawesi stands out as an eastern Indonesian powerhouse for food crop production. Crops are the highest contributor to the province’s agricultural GRDP, with food crops contributing nearly 50 percent of the Rp 42 trillion generated by the agricultural sector. Key food crops produced by South Sulawesi include paddy, corn, soya beans, cassava, sweet potato, and mung beans.

Furthermore, the fishing industry saw significant production in 2023, with 492,159 tonnes harvested, surpassing the 436,735 tonnes produced the year before. Most of the catch comes from saltwater fisheries rather than freshwater fisheries.

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Latest News

August 28, 2025

The South Sulawesi Provincial Government, in collaboration with Bank Indonesia (BI) held the 2025 South Sulawesi Investment Challenge (SSIC) Finals at Novotel Makassar in Makassar City, South Sulawesi on August 4, 2025, as part of the South Sulawesi Investment, Trade, and Tourism Acceleration (PINISI SULTAN) Forum.

The event, which has "Accelerating South Sulawesi's Economic Growth through Green & Blue Economy-Based Investment and Downstreaming" as its theme, served as a platform to identify flagship investment projects ready to offer (IPRO) from each regency and city of South Sulawesi aligned with long-term development goals and oriented toward increasing local added value.

The SSIC 2025 Finals was opened by South Sulawesi Provincial Government Assistant III A. Darmawan Bintang, who represented South Sulawesi Governor Andi Sudirman Sulaiman.

He emphasized that the event is a competition as well as a platform to showcase the region's readiness to attract investment, encourage downstream industry development, and improve community welfare. SSIC 2025's theme is also considered to align with national and regional policy directions for sustainable economic development.

Meanwhile, BI South Sulawesi Province Representative Office Head Rizki Ernadi Wimanda reported that SSIC 2025 successfully amassed 18 clean and clear (CnC) projects from 16 regencies and cities. After a selection process, field verification, and technical assistance in preparing IPRO proposals, the six best projects were selected as finalists for the 2025 SSIC. These included:

  1. The Drinking Water Supply System project presented by Parepare Mayor Tasming Hamid;
  2. The Industrial Salt Factory project presented by Jeneponto Deputy Regent Islam Iskandar;
  3. The Makassar UNTIA Stadium project presented by Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin;
  4. The Agricultural Waste-Based Bioethanol Industry project presented by Bone Deputy Regent Andi Akmal Pasluddin;
  5. The Seaweed Industry project presented by Luwu Deputy Regent Muh. Dhevy Bijak;
  6.  The Rice Milling Industry project presented by East Luwu Regency Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Office (DPMPTSP) Abd. Wahid Rahim Sangka.

They were evaluated by a panel of judges consisting of the of Promotion for the Investment and Downstream Ministry/Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Americas and Europe Region Promotion Director, the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Jakarta East Java Regional Outreach Manager, the Acting South Sulawesi Provincial Research and Development Planning Agency (Bappelitbangda) Head, a Universitas Hasanuddin Faculty of Economics & Business Professor, and a PT Sucofindo Indonesia Regional Planning Expert.

After the judging process, the three best proposals were selected for SSIC 2025. Bone Regency's Agricultural Waste-Based Bioethanol Industry project won first place, followed by the Makassar UNTIA Stadium project in second and Luwu Regency's Seaweed Industry project in third.

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