The use of use of AD has been a re-occurring topic in international trade,and various studies have sort to determine why countries resort to the use of AD in international trade,even with the promotion of free trade.This study evaluates the effects that the Anti-dumping regime in South Africa is having on the domestic manufacturers in South Africa.The study using AD data from 1991-2016,sort to show a direct effect of the use of AD by South Africa on domestic manufacturers,the starch manufacturing industry in South Africa was the focal point of the research,in order to show practicality.Using the Pearson correlation and regression analysis method,the study shows that South Africa’s use of AD has a positive effect on the growth level in the domestic manufacturing sector,especially in the area of employment rate and export level.The trend shows that in years of heavy use of AD,there was a correlating growth in the domestic manufacturing sector and the reverse was the case in the years when AD use was low.This result is in line with the safety valve theory of AD,which forms the theoretical base of the study and is in line with numerous literatures along this line.This research therefore concludes that South Africa’s use of AD has been effective in promoting growth for domestic manufacturers especially in the areas of general output and employment rate in the manufacturing sector.Another important conclusion of this research which is based on the results of the analyzed data is that AD can be effective tool in regulating free trade in order to guarantee maximum benefits for domestic manufacturers by protecting them adequately from injurious trade practices such as dumping.This requires an efficient AD regulation agency.Based on these conclusions,this research recommends that developing economies can learn from South Africa’s experiences so far and implement an efficient AD regulating body in order to successfully protect domestic industries from dumping as a way of promoting growth and by extension free trade.