Cape Business News CBN Audio: During the mid- to late 1900’s, asbestos was one of the most mined products in the world, with the production thereof being led by South Africa. South Africa was the largest producer of asbestos by the 1970s, and had a thriving export trade of more than 10 million tons of asbestos between 1910 and 2002. Before the dangers of asbestos became widely published, this mineral was mined extensively and used in the manufacturing of a variety of products. Asbestos was especially popular in the manufacturing of construction related products, such as roof sheeting, gutters, pipes, insulation, and ceiling panels.