The RMB/BER business confidence index in South Africa came in at 38 in Q3 2026, down slightly from 39 in the previous period and marking the lowest reading since Q3 2024. Elevated uncertainty from the ongoing Middle East conflict, coupled with faltering domestic demand, continued to undermine business sentiment in South Africa. Four of five sub-indexes declined, led by an 11-point fall in new-vehicle dealer sentiment to 38 as inventories outpaced demand, while stronger new-vehicle sales were nearly offset by weaker second-hand sales. Manufacturing confidence also fell, to 27 from 31, as weak domestic demand and softer exports weighed on activity. Capacity utilisation declined, highlighting continued spare capacity. “Business confidence has stabilized, but at a level that remains too low to support the stronger investment and employment growth South Africa needs,” said Isaah Mhlanga, chief economist at RMB. source: Bureau for Economic Research (BER)

Business Confidence in South Africa decreased to 38 points in the third quarter of 2026 from 39 points in the second quarter of 2026. Business Confidence in South Africa averaged 42.55 points from 1975 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 92.00 points in the third quarter of 1980 and a record low of 5.00 points in the second quarter of 2020. This page provides - South Africa Business Confidence - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. South Africa Business Confidence - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on September of 2026.

Business Confidence in South Africa decreased to 38 points in the third quarter of 2026 from 39 points in the second quarter of 2026. Business Confidence in South Africa is expected to be 34.00 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the South Africa Business Confidence is projected to trend around 42.00 points in 2027 and 45.00 points in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-06-02 09:30 AM
Business Confidence
Q2 39 47 38
2026-09-02 10:30 AM
Business Confidence
Q3 38 39 34
2026-11-20 10:00 AM
Business Confidence
Q4 38 32


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bankruptcies 239.00 246.00 Companies Jul 2026
Business Confidence 38.00 39.00 points Sep 2026
Capacity Utilization 76.10 77.00 percent Mar 2026
Car Registrations 40912.00 38393.00 Units Jul 2026
Changes in Inventories -22424.00 -6246.00 ZAR Million Mar 2026
SACCI Business Confidence 125.40 123.50 points Jul 2026
Composite Leading Indicator 100.36 100.48 points Jun 2026
Corruption Index 41.00 41.00 Points Dec 2025
Corruption Rank 81.00 82.00 Dec 2025
Electricity Production 18904.00 18642.00 Gigawatt-hour Jun 2026
Gold Production YoY 6.20 -4.40 percent Jun 2026
Manufacturing Production YoY -1.70 -4.30 percent Jun 2026
Manufacturing Production MoM 0.90 1.10 percent Jun 2026
Leading Business Cycle Indicator MoM -1.40 -0.30 percent Jun 2026
Mining Production YoY -4.00 -5.10 percent Jun 2026
Total New Vehicle Sales 57900.00 57730.00 Units Aug 2026


South Africa Business Confidence
In South Africa, the BER Business Confidence Index covers 1,400 business people in the building sector, 1,400 in the trade sector and 1,000 in manufacturing. The survey assesses the level of optimism that senior executives in the companies have about current and expected developments regarding sales, orders, employment, inventories and selling prices. The index varies on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 indicates an extreme lack of confidence, 50 neutrality and 100 extreme confidence.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
38.00 39.00 92.00 5.00 1975 - 2026 points Quarterly

News Stream
South Africa Business Confidence Lingers at 2-Year Low
The RMB/BER business confidence index in South Africa came in at 38 in Q3 2026, down slightly from 39 in the previous period and marking the lowest reading since Q3 2024. Elevated uncertainty from the ongoing Middle East conflict, coupled with faltering domestic demand, continued to undermine business sentiment in South Africa. Four of five sub-indexes declined, led by an 11-point fall in new-vehicle dealer sentiment to 38 as inventories outpaced demand, while stronger new-vehicle sales were nearly offset by weaker second-hand sales. Manufacturing confidence also fell, to 27 from 31, as weak domestic demand and softer exports weighed on activity. Capacity utilisation declined, highlighting continued spare capacity. “Business confidence has stabilized, but at a level that remains too low to support the stronger investment and employment growth South Africa needs,” said Isaah Mhlanga, chief economist at RMB.
2026-09-02
South Africa Business Sentiment Weakens in Q2
The RMB/BER business confidence index in South Africa fell by 8 points to 39 in Q2 2026, the lowest since Q3 2025, reversing the prior two quarters of improvement and moving just below its long-term average of 40. This is the lowest level since Q3 2025, as businesses faced renewed pressure from the Middle East war. “The sharp escalation of tensions in the Middle East pushed oil prices higher, lifted local fuel costs and significantly altered interest-rate expectations. Businesses have had to adjust quickly to a less supportive outlook, which weighed on sentiment across most sectors, " noted Isaah Mhlanga, chief economist at RMB. Confidence deteriorated across the board, with four of the five sectors reporting weaker sentiment, led by new vehicle dealers (-18 points to 49) and wholesalers (-10 points to 40). Manufacturing was the only sector to record an improvement, albeit marginal (+1 point to 31), despite ongoing pressure from weak demand and higher costs.
2026-06-02
South Africa Business Sentiment Hits Near 5-Year High
The RMB/BER business confidence index in South Africa rose to 47 in Q1 2026, the highest since Q2 2021, from 44 in the previous quarter. The survey revealed that sentiment improved amid a stable government, supportive interest rate environment and favorable exchange rate movements, despite geopolitical concerns. "A sustained improvement in confidence will ultimately depend on stronger demand, continued policy credibility and progress on structural reforms. For now, sentiment is improving but translating that into durable growth remains the key test for 2026," said Isaah Mhlanga, chief economist at RMB.
2026-03-04