Abstract
<jats:p>This paper investigates how foreign technology and information networks influence exporter dynamics and survival among South African manufacturing firms. Utilizing merged customs export and import and CIT-IRP5 firm-level data from 2010 to 2021, the study first establishes key stylized facts on export dynamics. Econometric analysis, employing a complementary log-log and extended piecewise constant exponential hazard model, reveals that both foreign technology and a firm's network information are crucial for the export survival of South African manufacturing firms. At the firm-time level, strong local cross-firm information spillovers significantly reduce exit risk, while firms investing in research and development and insourcing intellectual property through royalty payments exhibit higher survival. In addition, at the firm- product-destination-time level, only royalty expenditure and international networks lower hazard, highlighting the role of product differentiation and global linkages in sustaining export relationships across destinations.</jats:p>