The total turnover of quarterly financial statistics (QFS) industries1 in the third quarter of 2015 was estimated at R2 037 366 million (R2,04 trillion), an increase of 3,3% compared with the second quarter of 2015 (R1 972 425 million or R1,97 trillion).

Between the second and third quarters of 2015 turnover increased in seven of the eight industries covered by the survey. The largest percentage increase in turnover was recorded in electricity, gas and water supply (+20,3%), followed by construction (+10,2%), manufacturing (+4,2%), transport, storage and communication (+4,2%), trade (+2,2%), real estate and other business services (excluding financial intermediation and insurance) (+2,2%) and community, social and personal services (excluding government institutions) (+1,1%). A decrease was recorded in mining and quarrying (-3,9%).

Total closing inventories at the end of the third quarter of 2015 were estimated at R720 474 million, an increase of 1,1% compared with R712 302 million at the end of the second quarter of 2015. Increases were recorded in electricity, gas and water supply (+5,4%), manufacturing (+2,4%), real estate and other business services (excluding financial intermediation and insurance) (+2,0%) and trade (+0,7%). Decreases in inventories were recorded in transport, storage and communication (-7,7%), mining and quarrying (-1,6%), construction (-0,6%) and community, social and personal services (excluding government institutions) (-0,2%).

Total capital expenditure on property, plant and equipment was estimated at R86 802 million in the third quarter of 2015, a decrease of 1,4% compared with R88 009 million in the second quarter of 2015. The largest percentage decrease was recorded in construction (-34,2%), followed by manufacturing (-25,3%), trade (-24,2%) and real estate and other business services (excluding financial intermediation and insurance) (-11,7%). Increases were recorded in community, social and personal services (excluding government institutions) (+28,7%), transport, storage and communication (+22,3%), electricity, gas and water supply (+18,2%) and mining and quarrying (+7,3%).

Turnover was estimated at R2 037 366 million in the third quarter of 2015, an increase of 1,2% compared with R2 012 649 million in the third quarter of 2014. The largest percentage increase in turnover was recorded in transport, storage and communication (+9,1%), followed by construction (+6,6%), electricity, gas and water supply (+5,1%), community, social and personal services (excluding government institutions) (+4,5%), trade (+3,9%) and manufacturing (+0,5%). Decreases were recorded in real estate and other business services (excluding financial intermediation and insurance) (-10,5%) and mining and quarrying (-1,9%).

1All industries in the South African economy, excluding agriculture, financial intermediation, insurance and government institutions.