<PAGE>



         As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 2, 1997
                                                                 File No. 333-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                Washington, D.C. 20549
                                           
                                       FORM S-8
                                REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                        UNDER
                              THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                           
                               AFC CABLE SYSTEMS, INC.
                (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

    Delaware                                95-1517994
(State or Other Jurisdiction                (I.R.S. Employer
of Incorporation or Organization)           Identification No.)


                             50 Kennedy Plaza, Suite 1250
                            Providence, Rhode Island 02903
                       (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                              1997 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
                                           
                           ---------------------------------
                               (Full Title of the Plan)

                                  Raymond H. Keller
                      Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
                               AFC Cable Systems, Inc.
                              55 Samuel Barnet Boulevard
                          New Bedford, Massachusetts  02745
                                    (508) 998-1131

   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (Name, Address and Telephone Number, including Area Code, of Agent for 
    Service)

                           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Title of Securities    Amount       Proposed Maximum      Proposed Maximum      Amount of 
     To Be              To Be        Offering Price      Aggregate Offering   Registration
  Registered(1)      Registered       Per Share(1)           Price(1)              Fee

<S>                  <C>            <C>                  <C>                  <C>
Common Stock,
Par Value $.01    400,000 Shares     $25.75               $10,300,000          $3,122

</TABLE>

(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee. For
    the purpose of determining the registration fee, the Maximum Offering Price
    Per Share and Aggregate Offering Price have been determined, pursuant to
    Rule 457(h) of the Securities Act of 1933, on the basis of the average of
    the bid and asked prices of the common stock, par value $.01 per share (the
    "Common Stock"), of AFC Cable Systems, Inc., reported on the National
    Association of Security Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotations National Market
    System on May 23, 1997.

                               Exhibit Index on Page 6
                                 Page 1 of  6 Pages.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>
                                       PART II

                  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.   Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

     AFC Cable Systems, Inc. (the "Registrant" or the "Company") hereby
incorporates the following documents herein by reference:

(a)  The Registrant's Prospectus as filed with the Securities and Exchange
     Commission (the "Commission") pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities
     Act of 1933, as amended, on April  17, 1997 (the "Prospectus"), in 
     connection with the Registrant's public offering of Common Stock pursuant 
     to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-23779) (the "S-3 
     Registration Statement") and containing audited financial statements 
     for the year ended December 31, 1996.

(b)  The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10Q as filed with the Commission 
     pursuant  to  Section 13 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
     "Exchange Act") on May 13, 1997.

(c)  Description of the Common Stock of the Registrant contained in the
     Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission
     pursuant to Section 12(g) under the Exchange Act.

     All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section
13(a), Section 13(c), Section 14 and Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to
the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement that
indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all
securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed incorporated herein by
reference from the date of filing of such documents.

Item 4.   Description of Securities.

     Not Applicable.

Item 5.   Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
     
     Not Applicable.

Item 6.   Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     The Registrant's Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that the
directors of the Registrant shall not be liable to the Registrant or its
stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director,
except to the extent that the exculpation from liabilities is not permitted
under the Delaware General Corporation Law as in effect at the time such
liability is 

                                   2

<PAGE>

determined.  The Restated Certificate of Incorporation also
provides that the Registrant shall indemnify its directors and officers to the
full extent permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware.

Item 7.   Exemption From Registration Claimed.

     Not Applicable.

Item 8.   Exhibits.

Exhibit

4.1.   Restated Certificate of Incorporation is incorporated herein by reference
       to Exhibit 3.1 of the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1 
       (File No. 33-87884).

4.2.   By-laws of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to 
       Exhibit 3.2 of the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1 
       (File No. 33-70234).

5.     Opinion of Ropes & Gray.

23.1.  Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

23.2.  Consent of Ropes & Gray (See Exhibit 5).

24.    Power of Attorney (Included on Signature Pages).

Item 9.   Undertakings.

     (a)  The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
     made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement, (i) to
     include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution
     not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material
     change to such information in the Registration Statement.

          (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
     Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed
     to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered
     herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to
     be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

          (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
     amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
     termination of the offering.

                                      3

<PAGE>

     (b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.

                                       4

<PAGE>
                                      SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement on Form S-8 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of New Bedford, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
on this 2nd day of June, 1997.

                                   AFC CABLE SYSTEMS, INC.
                                   

                                   By:/s/ Raymond H. Keller
                                      -------------------------------
                                      Name:  Raymond H. Keller
                                      Title: Vice President and 
                                              Chief Financial Officer


                                  POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Pursuant to the requirement of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.  Each person whose signature appears
below hereby authorizes and constitutes Ralph R. Papitto and Raymond H. Keller,
and each of them singly, his true and lawful attorneys with full power to them,
and each of them singly, to sign for him and in his name in the capacities
indicated below any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to
this Registration Statement and to file the same, with exhibits thereto, and
other documents in connection therewith, and he hereby ratifies and confirms his
signature as it may be signed by said attorneys, or any of them, to any and all
such amendments.

Signature               Capacity in Which Signed                Date 

/s/ Ralph R. Rapitto    Chief Executive Officer and             June 2, 1997 
---------------------   Director (Principal Executive
Ralph R. Rapitto        Officer) 
     

/s/ Raymond H. Keller   Chief Financial Officer and             June 2, 1997 
---------------------   Director (Principal Financial
Rayomond H. Keller      and Accounting Officer)  


/s/ Robert H. Wheeler   President and Director                  June 2, 1997 
---------------------
Robert H. Wheeler


/s/ Malcolm M. Donahue  Director                                June 2, 1997 
---------------------
Malcolm M. Donahue


/s/ Anthony J. Santoro  Director                                June 2, 1997 
---------------------
Anthony J. Santoro



                                        5

<PAGE>

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX 


      Number                     Title of Exhibit                Page
      ------                     ----------------                ----

          4.1.      Restated Certificate of
                    Incorporation incorporated
                    herein by reference to
                    Exhibit 3.1 of the Registrant's
                    Registration Statement on
                    Form S-1 (File No. 333-87884). 


          4.2.      By-laws of the Registrant
                    incorporated herein by
                    reference to Exhibit 3.2 of
                    the Registrant's Registration
                    Statement of Form S-1 (File
                    No. 33-87884). 
      
          5.        Opinion of Ropes & Gray. 
      

         23.1.      Consent of Ernst & Young LLP. 
      
         23.2.      Consent of Ropes & Gray
                    (See Exhibit 5). 

         24.        Power of Attorney 
                    (See Signature Page). 


                                        6
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 12719}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "AFC CABLE SYSTEMS INC", "cik": "0000913360", "assigned-sic": "3357", "irs-number": "951517994", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-28313", "film-number": "97618267"}, "business-address": {"street1": "55 SAMUEL BARNET BLVD", "city": "NEW BEDFORD", "state": "MA", "zip": "02745", "phone": "5089981131"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "55 SAMUEL BARNET BLVD", "city": "NEW BEDFORD", "state": "MA", "zip": "02745"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 2, 1997
                                                                 File No. 333-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                Washington, D.C. 20549
                                           
                                       FORM S-8
                                REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                        UNDER
                              THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                           
                               AFC CABLE SYSTEMS, INC.
                (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

    Delaware                                95-1517994
(State or Other Jurisdiction                (I.R.S. Employer
of Incorporation or Organization)           Identification No.)

                             50 Kennedy Plaza, Suite 1250
                            Providence, Rhode Island 02903
                       (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                              1997 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
                                           
                           ---------------------------------
                               (Full Title of the Plan)

                                  Raymond H. Keller
                      Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
                               AFC Cable Systems, Inc.
                              55 Samuel Barnet Boulevard
                          New Bedford, Massachusetts  02745
                                    (508) 998-1131

   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (Name, Address and Telephone Number, including Area Code, of Agent for 
    Service)

                           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of Securities    Amount       Proposed Maximum      Proposed Maximum      Amount of 
     To Be              To Be        Offering Price      Aggregate Offering   Registration
  Registered(1)      Registered       Per Share(1)           Price(1)              Fee
Common Stock,
Par Value $.01    400,000 Shares     $25.75               $10,300,000          $3,122
(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee. For
    the purpose of determining the registration fee, the Maximum Offering Price
    Per Share and Aggregate Offering Price have been determined, pursuant to
    Rule 457(h) of the Securities Act of 1933, on the basis of the average of
    the bid and asked prices of the common stock, par value $.01 per share (the
    "Common Stock"), of AFC Cable Systems, Inc., reported on the National
    Association of Security Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotations National Market
    System on May 23, 1997.

                               Exhibit Index on Page 6
                                 Page 1 of  6 Pages.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART II

                  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.   Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

     AFC Cable Systems, Inc. (the "Registrant" or the "Company") hereby
incorporates the following documents herein by reference:

(a)  The Registrant's Prospectus as filed with the Securities and Exchange
     Commission (the "Commission") pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities
     Act of 1933, as amended, on April  17, 1997 (the "Prospectus"), in 
     connection with the Registrant's public offering of Common Stock pursuant 
     to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-23779) (the "S-3 
     Registration Statement") and containing audited financial statements 
     for the year ended December 31, 1996.

(b)  The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10Q as filed with the Commission 
     pursuant  to  Section 13 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
     "Exchange Act") on May 13, 1997.

(c)  Description of the Common Stock of the Registrant contained in the
     Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission
     pursuant to Section 12(g) under the Exchange Act.

     All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section
13(a), Section 13(c), Section 14 and Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to
the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement that
indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all
securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed incorporated herein by
reference from the date of filing of such documents.

Item 4.   Description of Securities.

     Not Applicable.

Item 5.   Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
     
     Not Applicable.

Item 6.   Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     The Registrant's Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that the
directors of the Registrant shall not be liable to the Registrant or its
stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director,
except to the extent that the exculpation from liabilities is not permitted
under the Delaware General Corporation Law as in effect at the time such
liability is 

                                   2
determined.  The Restated Certificate of Incorporation also
provides that the Registrant shall indemnify its directors and officers to the
full extent permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware.

Item 7.   Exemption From Registration Claimed.

     Not Applicable.

Item 8.   Exhibits.

Exhibit

4.1.   Restated Certificate of Incorporation is incorporated herein by reference
       to Exhibit 3.1 of the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1 
       (File No. 33-87884).

4.2.   By-laws of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to 
       Exhibit 3.2 of the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1 
       (File No. 33-70234).

5.     Opinion of Ropes & Gray.

23.1.  Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

23.2.  Consent of Ropes & Gray (See Exhibit 5).

24.    Power of Attorney (Included on Signature Pages).

Item 9.   Undertakings.

     (a)  The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
     made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement, (i) to
     include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution
     not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material
     change to such information in the Registration Statement.

          (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
     Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed
     to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered
     herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to
     be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

          (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
     amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
     termination of the offering.

                                      3
(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.

                                       4
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement on Form S-8 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of New Bedford, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
on this 2nd day of June, 1997.

                                   AFC CABLE SYSTEMS, INC.
                                   

                                   By:/s/ Raymond H. Keller
                                      -------------------------------
                                      Name:  Raymond H. Keller
                                      Title: Vice President and 
                                              Chief Financial Officer

                                  POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Pursuant to the requirement of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.  Each person whose signature appears
below hereby authorizes and constitutes Ralph R. Papitto and Raymond H. Keller,
and each of them singly, his true and lawful attorneys with full power to them,
and each of them singly, to sign for him and in his name in the capacities
indicated below any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to
this Registration Statement and to file the same, with exhibits thereto, and
other documents in connection therewith, and he hereby ratifies and confirms his
signature as it may be signed by said attorneys, or any of them, to any and all
such amendments.

Signature               Capacity in Which Signed                Date 

/s/ Ralph R. Rapitto    Chief Executive Officer and             June 2, 1997 
---------------------   Director (Principal Executive
Ralph R. Rapitto        Officer) 
     

/s/ Raymond H. Keller   Chief Financial Officer and             June 2, 1997 
---------------------   Director (Principal Financial
Rayomond H. Keller      and Accounting Officer)  

/s/ Robert H. Wheeler   President and Director                  June 2, 1997 
---------------------
Robert H. Wheeler

/s/ Malcolm M. Donahue  Director                                June 2, 1997 
---------------------
Malcolm M. Donahue

/s/ Anthony J. Santoro  Director                                June 2, 1997 
---------------------
Anthony J. Santoro

                                        5
EXHIBIT INDEX 

      Number                     Title of Exhibit                Page
      ------                     ----------------                ----

          4.1.      Restated Certificate of
                    Incorporation incorporated
                    herein by reference to
                    Exhibit 3.1 of the Registrant's
                    Registration Statement on
                    Form S-1 (File No. 333-87884). 

          4.2.      By-laws of the Registrant
                    incorporated herein by
                    reference to Exhibit 3.2 of
                    the Registrant's Registration
                    Statement of Form S-1 (File
                    No. 33-87884). 
      
          5.        Opinion of Ropes & Gray. 
      

         23.1.      Consent of Ernst & Young LLP. 
      
         23.2.      Consent of Ropes & Gray
                    (See Exhibit 5). 

         24.        Power of Attorney 
                    (See Signature Page). 

                                        6