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Consumer inflation edged higher to April to 2.8% year-on-year from 2.7% in March, driven mainly by the housing and utilities as well as the alcoholic beverages and tobacco categories, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday.
BUDGET SPEECH

April consumer inflation edges higher to 2.8% year-on-year

April’s slight uptick suggests that the Reserve Bank will keep the benchmark repo rate at 7.5% next week

  • Aarti Bhana
2 min read
Consumer inflation edged higher to April to 2.8% year-on-year from 2.7% in March, driven mainly by the housing and utilities as well as the alcoholic beverages and tobacco categories, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday.
ANNUAL CONSUMER PRICE INFLATION

Inflation eases to 2.7% year-on-year in March

The South African Reserve Bank is unlikely to cut interest rates next month, because of inflationary pressures that lie ahead

  • Aarti Bhana
1 min read
United States President, Donald Trump. (Allison Robbert, Getty Images via AFP)
AGRICULTURE

Trump’s tariffs fuel economic pain for US consumers, businesses and farmers

For an agricultural sector that depends on international markets, short-term protectionist measures offer little benefit and erode long-term competitiveness

  • Imran Khalid
4 min read
Annual consumer inflation was unchanged at 3.2% in February at 3.2%, with increases registered in housing and utilities, food and alcoholic beverages and restaurants and accommodation offset by decreases in the services sector, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday. (Guillem Sartorio/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
BUSINESS

Consumer inflation unchanged at 3.2% in February

With inflationary pressures heightened, the Reserve Bank might take a cautionary approach regarding its interest rate decision on Thursday

  • Aarti Bhana
2 min read
Consumer inflation edged higher to April to 2.8% year-on-year from 2.7% in March, driven mainly by the housing and utilities as well as the alcoholic beverages and tobacco categories, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday.
BASKET

Consumer inflation ticks up for third straight month as Stats SA adjusts basket

The South African Reserve Bank has warned of an upside risk to the inflation outlook

  • MG Reporter
1 min read
On a month-on-month basis
ANNUAL INFLATION

Inflation cools to 3.8% in September

This is the lowest reading for inflation in South Africa since April 2021

  • Aarti Bhana
2 min read
Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago announced on Thursday that the monetary policy committee had increased the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7%, effective from 29 May.
BUSINESS

Reserve Bank cuts repo rate to 8%

This comes as inflation eased to 4.4% in August, below the midpoint of the Reserve Bank’s 3-6% target band

  • Aarti Bhana
4 min read
South Africa’s consumer food price inflation slowed to 3.9% in July 2024, from 4.1% in the previous month. (Dwayne Senior/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
BREAD AND CEREALS

Consumer food price inflation at lowest level since January 2020

While we could see food price inflation remaining relatively softer in the coming months, there are some possible upside price risks on bread and cereals and meat.

  • Wandile Sihlobo
3 min read
Economists widely expect the South African Reserve Bank’s monetary policy committee to once again hold the interest rate at 8.25% when it concludes its meeting on Thursday.
BUSINESS

Reserve Bank widely expected to hold interest rates this week

Consumer inflation remains sticky above the 4.5% midpoint of the central bank’s target range

  • Aarti Bhana
4 min read
Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago announced on Thursday that the monetary policy committee had increased the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7%, effective from 29 May.
INFLATION TARGET

Reserve Bank holds repo rate

Delivering the unanimous decision, central bank governor Lesetja Kganyago cited a still uncertain global outlook This content is restricted to registered users and subscribers.…

  • Aarti Bhana
1 min read
South African Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago. Photo: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg/Getty Images
BUSINESS

Explainer: How the Reserve Bank decides on interest rates

Movements in headline inflation are a key indicator, but decisions are also influenced by central banks around the world, especially the US Federal Reserve

  • Aarti Bhana
3 min read
The Reserve Bank has maintained the repo — at which it lends to commercial banks — steady at 8.25% for five consecutive meetings, since hiking it by 50 basis points in May 2023.
CONSUMER INFLATION INDEX

Consumer inflation eases in April, but interest rate cut still unlikely this month

The central bank has maintained the key repo rate at 8.25% since hiking it by 50 basis points in May 2023 This content is restricted to registered users and subscribers. Get Your…

  • Aarti Bhana
1 min read
Small food businesses and inflation
BUSINESS

Inflation edges up in February, driven by food and transport, among other costs

The consumer price index rose 5.6% year-on-year in February and was at 1.0% month-on-month

  • Aarti Bhana
2 min read
The key drivers of price growth in July were food and non-alcoholic beverages (up 5.7% and contributing 1.0 percentage points). Photo: Supplied
CPI

Inflation heats up as food prices hit 14-year high

Food price inflation contributed 2.4 percentage points to the annual rate of 7.1%

  • Sarah Smit
3 min read
Wrong number: Telkom is planning to shed employees as it focuses on cutting costs. Photo: Nadine Hutton/Bloomberg
CPI

After Telkom, more tech sector lay-offs on the cards

Telkom plans to retrench 15% of its employees across the group as the sector rebalances after the online boom during the pandemic

  • Anathi Madubela
6 min read
The key drivers of price growth in July were food and non-alcoholic beverages (up 5.7% and contributing 1.0 percentage points). Photo: Supplied
BASIS POINTS

Inflation eases for a second month

The decrease will probably lead to the South African Reserve Bank being less aggressive with rate hikes next week

  • Anathi Madubela
3 min read
Economists widely expect the South African Reserve Bank’s monetary policy committee to once again hold the interest rate at 8.25% when it concludes its meeting on Thursday.
APRIL

Reserve Bank may hike interest rates by 50 bps on Thursday

This week a spotlight is shone on a potential interest rate hike, inflation statistics and retail trade sales

  • Anathi Madubela
3 min read
Motorists can expect relief at the fuel pumps in October, with the price of all grades of petrol and diesel set to decrease from Wednesday
COST OF LIVING

Petrol, power price hikes hit South Africa hard

Households are reeling after the fuel price hike, as electricity is set to go up by 15.06% in 2022

  • Anathi Madubela
5 min read
The Reserve Bank has maintained the repo — at which it lends to commercial banks — steady at 8.25% for five consecutive meetings, since hiking it by 50 basis points in May 2023.
CONSUMER PRICE INFLATION

South Africa at risk of spillover from international inflation, economists say

Higher international oil prices, for example, could affect local transport costs through second-round effects

  • Tunicia Phillips
4 min read
CENTRAL BANK

CPI drops to its lowest level in eight years

The low consumer price inflation could lead the central bank to cut interest rates, says economists

  • Tshegofatso Mathe
3 min read