The year 2022 was tough, with soaring prices and rising interest rates leaving average consumers feeling the pinch. South Africa’s average inflation rate for 2022 was 6,9%, higher than the 4,5% recorded for 2021. The 2022 reading is the highest annual average rate since 2009 – the end of the global financial crisis. Explore inflation,   read more »

After contracting by 0,7% in the second quarter of 2022, the economy rallied in the third quarter, expanding by 1,6%. The size of the economy now exceeds pre-pandemic levels. Real gross domestic product (GDP) was R1 161 billion in the third quarter, which is above the previous peak of R1 152 billion recorded in 2018. Explore economic growth, as   read more »

National electricity supply has been the cause of intense concern for many years. Stats SA’s latest detailed survey of the industry provides updated data on finances, production and employment. According to the survey, South African electricity generation declined by 7,4% between 2019 and 2021. Explore electricity supply, as well as other stories, in this edition   read more »

We seldom think about the smaller industries that drive economic growth. Outside the heavyweights of finance, personal services and manufacturing, the agriculture industry might seem like a small player, contributing 5% to national economic activity. But don’t let this fool you. Not only does the industry play a vital role in food security, but it   read more »

Cautious relief was the response to Stats SA’s announcement in June that gross domestic product (GDP) had returned to pre-pandemic levels. The economy took seven quarters to get back on its feet while struggling under the strain of the pandemic. How does this compare with other countries? Data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) provides   read more »

After six years of steady decline, the number of consumer units serviced with a municipal bucket toilet jumped in 2020. Increases were reported in seven of South Africa’s 257 municipalities. Six of these were in Free State. Explore the latest data on sanitation, as well as other stories, in this edition of Stats Biz. Download   read more »

Annual consumer price inflation jumped to 6,5% in May from 5,9% in April and March, breaking through the upper limit of the South African Reserve Bank’s monetary policy target range. This is the highest reading since January 2017 when the rate was 6,6%. Transport and food and non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) accounted for just over half of   read more »

Economically, no country is an island. Just as a household cannot produce all that it needs on its own, South Africa depends on global trade for a range of goods and services. Data from the latest supply and use tables (SUTs) provide insight into those products that are imported, exported, and consumed by households. Explore   read more »

What’s the deal with seasonal adjustment? Take retail trade. Every year Christmas shoppers hit the stores in November and December, pushing up sales. This seasonal pattern is strong and familiar, but it tends to hide other unusual phenomena that might be lurking, unseen, in the data. Explore seasonal adjustment, as well as other stories, in   read more »

After decreasing steadily for eight months, annual bread and cereals inflation jumped to 3,7% in February from 1,5% in January. The monthly change was also significant: prices climbed by 2,4% between January and February, representing the biggest monthly increase for this category since the beginning of 2019. Explore food inflation, as well as other stories,   read more »