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

January 14, 2026

Jakarta Special Capital Region (DKI) Governor Pramono Anung stated that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is opening investment opportunities for the development of fisheries and agriculture in South Sulawesi Province after receiving a visit from South Sulawesi Governor Andi Sudirman Sulaiman in Central Jakarta Administrative City, DKI Jakarta, on Dec. 19, 2025.

"As we all know, South Sulawesi's fisheries and agricultural production is extraordinary. [Therefore], I have ordered the [DKI Jakarta Regional Secretariat] Cooperation Bureau to investigate [investment opportunities in South Sulawesi]," said Pramono. "and if possible, like other regions, the DKI Jakarta government is willing to invest in that sector."

He said that the cooperation in the food sector was designed for medium and long term interests. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician added that the meeting with Governor Andi discussed opportunities for cooperation in the fields of bureaucracy, personnel and smart city development. Pramono proposed during the meeting that the Jakarta Kini (JAKI) application system could be utilized by the South Sulawesi Provincial Government.

"We are willing to provide education, training, and knowledge [relevant to JAKI]" Pramono explained.

Meanwhile, Andi said that the South Sulawesi Provincial Government has offered the province's leading agricultural products to the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government. He added that discussions on cooperation in the food sector will be continued by each provincial government's officials after the meeting.

"We offer some of our leading products as an agricultural area [that has] national rice granary [status]," said Andi.

On smart city governance, the South Sulawesi government seeks an exchange of knowledge in terms of public transportation management.

"For example, TransJakarta has been proven [successful] and [extensively inter]connected. South Sulawesi itself now has Trans Andalan, but we haven't done it massively because of [the province's] large area," he said.

"At minimum, they could share [knowledge] to speed up [Trans Andalas development.]," he concluded.

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