Steel & Metals:
the digital friction benchmark.
Across the 11 steel & metals we measured in South Africa, the average Digital Friction Score is 61/100 (median 62). The widest shared weakness is Authority, averaging just 9.7/20 — the place most of these companies quietly lose customers. Macsteel sets the pace at 85; the gap to the bottom of the table is 56 points.
Where the sector leaks customers
Average score per dimension (out of 20). The lower the bar, the more friction the typical steel & metal is carrying.
How the field splits
Top of the table
- 1Macsteelmacsteel.co.za85
- 2Vulcan Steelvulcan.co.za78
- 3BSI Steelbsisteel.com72
- 4Scaw Metalsscaw.co.za70
- 5Trident Steeltridentsteel.co.za68
Every company, every dimension, with the measurement date and method.
Measured 2026-10-20 · reproducible at pagespeed.web.dev and each site's public pages · methodology
These scores measure digital commercial friction only — how easily customers can find, trust and transact with each company online. They are not a measure of a company's quality, solvency, legality or service. We re-run and correct promptly if a company shows a measurement is wrong.
Frequently asked
What is the average digital friction score for steel & metals in South Africa?
Across the 11 steel & metals we measured, the average Digital Friction Score is 61/100 (median 62). Higher means less friction between the company and its customers. The weakest shared area is Authority, averaging 9.7/20.
Which steel & metal has the lowest digital friction?
Macsteel ranks first with 85/100. The full ranking of all 11 companies, with every dimension, is published on the Steel & Metals rankings page — and every score is reproducible.
How is this benchmark measured?
Each company is scored 0–100 across five externally-observable dimensions — Discovery, Website, Conversion, Trust and Authority — using public signals (Google Lighthouse plus each site's own pages), measured 2026-10-20. The full method is published on our methodology page.
Where do you sit in
this benchmark?
Run your free Friction Score and see exactly where you rank against the sector — and what to fix first.
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