South Africa Building Permits Rebound Slightly

The value of building plans approved in South Africa rose by 0.2% year-on-year to ZAR 6275 million in January 2026, following a 14.3% decline in the prior month. Permits rebounded for non-residential buildings (27.7% vs -46% in December), but decreased for additions and alterations (-15.5% vs -12.5%) and residential projects (-1.1% vs 3.7%).

The value of building plans approved in South Africa slipped by 14.3% year-on-year to ZAR 6002 million in December 2025, marking the steepest decline since April 2025, after a revised 5.7% rise in November. Decreases were seen in permits for non-residential buildings (-46%) and additions & alterations (-12.4%), contrasting with a 3.7% increase for residential buildings. In 2025, the value of plans passed dropped by 2.6% to approximately 99066 million.

The value of building plans approved in South Africa rebounded by 5.8% year-on-year to ZAR 9332 million in November 2025, following an upwardly revised 6.9% decline in October. This was the highest level for a November month since 2023, as permits increased for both residential projects (14.9% vs -7.6%) and additions & alterations (7% vs 4.4%). On the other hand, approvals for the non-residential segment continued to shrink (-16.4% vs -16.1%)