South Africa Private Sector Stabilizes in April

2025-05-06 07:21 By Joshua Ferrer 1 min. read

The S&P Global South Africa PMI rose to 50.0 in April 2025 from 48.3 in March, signaling stabilization after four months of contraction.

Modest rebounds in output, new orders, and employment drove the improvement, with some firms citing stronger demand and marketing success.

Services led growth, while industry lagged with a decline in production.

Notably, supplier delivery times improved for the first time since mid-2023, aided by reduced congestion at Durban's port.

Purchasing activity also rose as firms responded to easing supply issues, though inventories dipped slightly.

On prices, input cost inflation accelerated sharply to an eight-month high, driven by rand weakness and higher import prices, prompting firms to raise selling prices after a one-month reprieve.

Looking ahead, business expectations weakened, reaching the second-lowest level in 19 months, amid continued political and economic uncertainty.

Nonetheless, 40% of firms remained optimistic about future output.



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