South African private sector activity expands slightly in August, PMI shows

September 3, 2026 3:19 AM EDT

A traffic congestion during the morning peak hour as motorists drive towards the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, July 23, 2026. Picture taken through a car window. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 3 (Reuters) - ‌South ​African ​private sector activity expanded slightly in August as higher new ‌orders supported output and purchasing, a business ⁠survey showed on Thursday.

• The S&P Global ‌South Africa Purchasing Managers' ‌Index (PMI) rose to 50.5 in August from 50.3 in July.

• The 50 ​mark separates growth from contraction.

• New orders increased marginally, with surveyed ⁠businesses reporting larger orders, successful tenders and rising sales ​as customer finances improved.

• Output expanded for a second month and ​at the strongest pace ‌since April. Purchasing activity also rose at the quickest rate ⁠since March, helping lift input stocks at the fastest pace in four months.

• Export ⁠sales were only just in positive territory and ​hit a three-month low, the survey showed.

• "Survey comments suggest that business expectations also rely on ‌a recovery of both domestic and external economic conditions, implying ‌the path to stronger growth remains ⁠unclear," said S&P ‌Global Market ​Intelligence Senior Economist David Owen.

(Reporting by Johannesburg bureau; Editing by Hugh ‌Lawson)



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