Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian

Consumer Price Inflation

latest news & developments
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.
BUREAU FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH MAIN

Inflation dips below 5%

The latest year-on-year number is 4.6%. This is the lowest it has been since July 2021

  • Anathi Madubela
2 min read
Since it became clear that the country had moved past the worst of the cost-of-living crisis, the question has been, “When will things get better?” (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
BLACK SEA GRAIN DEAL

SA’s food inflation should carry on slowing, despite global risks

Regardless of the instability of world production, there are strong reasons to feel optimistic about grocery prices

  • Wandile Sihlobo
4 min read
Consumer price inflation slowed to 7.6% year-on-year in August after hitting a 13-year high in July. (Photo by Gideon Mendel/Corbis via Getty Images)
CONSUMER PRICE INFLATION

Inflation eases, but is still above Reserve Bank’s upper limit

Consumer price inflation slowed to 7.6% year-on-year in August after hitting a 13-year high in July

  • Anathi Madubela
1 min read
The higher producer prices come after consumer inflation also bucked consensus expectations, shooting through the upper limit of the Reserve Bank’s target in May. (Oupa Nkosi, M&G)
BUREAU FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH

Factory gate inflation surprises on the upside

The higher producer prices come after consumer inflation also bucked consensus expectations

  • Sarah Smit
2 min read
BUREAU FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH

South Africa’s factory gate inflation set for another rise

Producer price inflation reached 13.1% in April, marking the highest print since 2012

  • Sarah Smit
2 min read
Lesetja Kganyago, governor of South Africa’s central bank. (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
ANNABEL BISHOP

Hawkish Reserve Bank sees South Africa edge towards a rates hike

Analysts say the Reserve Bank could start tightening monetary policy as early as next month

  • Sarah Smit
6 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
The consumer price index decreased by 0.1% month-on-month in August, after increasing by 0.9% in July.
ALCOHOL

Consumer price inflation eased in February

But higher petrol and electricity prices are expected to drive up price inflation throughout the economy

  • Sarah Smit
2 min read
CONSUMER PRICE INFLATION

Further Reserve Bank repo rate cut unlikely this year

The central bank estimates that gross domestic product (GDP) to contract by 8.2% in 2020

  • Thando Maeko
3 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
South Africans could face rising living and borrowing costs after inflation accelerated to 4% in April, with economists warning that fuel-driven global price shocks — not domestic demand — are complicating the South African Reserve Bank’s interest rate outlook
CONSUMER PRICE INFLATION

Inflation outlook remains on target

Figures released by Statistics South Africa showed that CPI increased, mainly because of the increased cost of transport and insurance.

  • Tebogo Tshwane
2 min read
To survive one needs a diversified portfolio with a balance between domestic and international investments and financial planning that takes a long-term view.
AFRICAN ECONOMY

IMF revises growth rates for South Africa

IMF revised its growth forecast for sub-Saharan Africa down to 4.9% from 5.8% in 2015, and SA’s growth has been reduced to 2.1% from a previous 2.3%.

  • Thuletho Zwane
4 min read
To survive one needs a diversified portfolio with a balance between domestic and international investments and financial planning that takes a long-term view.
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX

Economic week ahead: A slew of SA data

SA’s data diary is full this week with updates on it’s current account, inflation, mining, manufacturing and retail sales over the coming days.

  • Matt Quigley
5 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
BNP PARIBAS

Inflation exceeds target again

Consumer Price Inflation exceeded the Reserve Bank’s target band of 3% to 6% for the third time in .

  • Rene Vollgraaff
1 min read
The Monetary Policy Committee’s says it was mindful of the anaemic state of the economy when deciding to leave rates unchanged.
CONSUMER PRICE INFLATION

Rand bonds revel as Marcus finesses policy

Bonds are rallying after the Reserve Bank’s hiked rates in an effort to assure South Africans and investors that inflation will not run away.

  • Robert Brand
4 min read