Sfax Governorate
Sfax shows competitive displacement: 1,047,468 people (2024) in Tunisia's former 'capital of the South' now ranked 5th-7th nationally, despite first-place olive oil and largest fishing port.
Sfax Governorate reveals competitive displacement in urban hierarchies—once the 'capital of the South' and Tunisia's clear second economic hub, the region has declined to 5th or even 7th place in national rankings despite hosting 1,047,468 residents (2024 census) across 7,545 km². The governorate remains first in olive oil production, operates Tunisia's largest fishing port, and maintains the first commercial port by traffic volume, yet globalization triggered specialization in low-skilled, low-added-value industries like textiles that proved vulnerable to international competition. Today 2,300 industrial units employ 25% of the active population while the tertiary sector provides 100,000 jobs, but the competitive moat that once protected Sfax has eroded. Multiple industrial zones (Poudrière I/II, Madagascar, Maou, Hencha, Jebeniana, Sfax naval, Thyna) demonstrate attempts at niche diversification, yet the fundamental challenge remains: phosphates, olive processing, and fishing—the historical pillars—cannot sustain premium growth in modern economies. Sfax functions like a large herbivore outcompeted by more agile species: still massive, still productive, but losing relative position in an ecosystem that increasingly rewards speed over bulk.