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

October 14, 2025

Parepare City, South Sulawesi Province has once again established itself as a national-level marine tourism hub through the 2025 Salo Karajae Festival. 

The festival was officially opened by Parepare Mayor Tasming Hamid at the Tonrangen Riverside Pavilion on the evening of Sep. 27, 2025. The date was chosen to coincide with the World Tourism Day.

He was accompanied during the opening by officials from the Tourism Ministry and South Sulawesi Culture and Tourism Office Head Muhammad Arafah, who represented South Sulawesi Governor Andi Sudirman Sulaiman.

The lively opening ceremony was also attended by several Parepare City Government officials, representatives of the South Sulawesi Provincial Government, cultural figures, and delegates from neighboring regions. Their presence supported the Salo Karajae Festival's position as one of the largest cultural and tourism events in South Sulawesi.

Salo Karajae Festival 2025 has also been included in Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) calendar of cultural festivals assembled by the Tourism Ministry for the fifth consecutive year, affirming its standing as a leading national event.

"This festival is not just an ordinary event, but a celebration that combines tradition, nature, and modern creativity," said Parepare Mayor Tasming Hamid in his opening remarks.

He gave his warm welcome to the festival's guests, introducing Parepare City as a beautiful small city steeped in history and full of inspiration. Tasming also noted that Parepare City is the birthplace Bacharuddin Jusuf (B.J.) Habibie, the third President of Indonesia.

B.J. Habibie has been immortalized in the city through the Habibie Ainun True Love Monument, Institut Teknologi Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, the BJ Habibie Floating Mosque, and the Hasri Ainun Habibie Regional General Hospital.

"The Salo Karajae Festival is a source of pride for us all. It proves that tourism activities in Parepare are recognized nationally. Therefore, this event must continue to develop in line with the growing cultural interaction within the community," Tasming emphasized.

He added that the Salo Karajae Festival is one of the Parepare City Government's strategies to promote the city's tourism destinations. Through events like the festival, he is confident that Parepare can become more widely known at the national and international stage.

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