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/ 30 April 2008

Petrol, diesel prices to jump in May

South African petrol pump prices and wholesale diesel prices will rise sharply next week, the government said on Wednesday, adding to inflationary pressures. The Department of Minerals and Energy Affairs said all grades of petrol would on May 7 rise by 55 cents, or 6,2%, to R9,46 a litre in Gauteng.

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/ 16 April 2008

February retail sales growth accelerates

South Africa’s retail sales growth accelerated to 2,5% year-on-year in February at constant prices, from an upwardly revised 0,7% growth in January, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday. In the three months to the end of February, retail sales increased by 0,7% over the same period the previous year, also at constant prices.

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/ 29 January 2008

Power crunch raises infrastructure doubts

South Africa’s critical electricity crunch has raised doubts over whether infrastructure can keep pace with an economic boom while the country prepares to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup tournament. South Africa is gripped by traumatic power cuts that have brought the mining industry, mainstay of the economy, to a halt.

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/ 10 January 2008

SA November manufacturing slows

Growth in South Africa’s manufacturing output volumes eased in the year to November, data showed on Thursday, but this might not sway the central bank’s next decision on interest rates later this month. Statistics South Africa said manufacturing output slowed to 4,4% year-on-year in volume from an upwardly revised 5,7% in October.

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/ 5 December 2007

Manufacturing output quickens to 5,2%

South Africa’s manufacturing output recovered in October to grow an unadjusted 5,2% year-on-year in volume terms, after contracting 1,4% in September, official data showed on Wednesday. Compared with September, manufacturing production rose a seasonally-adjusted 7,2% in October, Statistics South Africa said.

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/ 4 December 2007

Zuma brushes off scandals to lead race

Jacob Zuma is hounded by corruption allegations and his rape trial often overshadows his status as a hero of the anti-apartheid struggle. Yet the burly Zulu politician has shrugged off obstacles that would have crippled others to emerge as favourite to lead the ruling African National Congress.

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/ 29 November 2007

Interest-rate hike ‘a near certainty’

The continued strong rises in credit extension provided little counter to the shocking inflation figures released on Wednesday and the chances of an interest-rate hike next week now seemed an almost assured fact, the Efficient Group said on Thursday. This comes after the South African Reserve Bank released both the October monetary aggregates and credit extension figures.

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/ 27 November 2007

SA GDP growth increases in third quarter

South African third-quarter growth rose to an annualised 4,7%, beating forecasts and backing the case for another interest-rate hike. Statistics South Africa on Tuesday said the annualised quarter-on-quarter growth in real gross domestic product (GDP) has increased to 4,7%, compared with a downwardly revised 4,4% in the second quarter of 2007.

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/ 28 August 2007

GDP growth slows in second quarter

South Africa’s real gross domestic product (GDP) at market prices on a quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted annualised (saa) basis rose by 4,5% in the second quarter of 2007 from 4,7% in the first quarter of 2007, Statistics South Africa said on Tuesday. This comes after GDP rose as high as 5,6% in the fourth quarter of last year.