South Africa’s economy shrank by 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in Q2 2026, following a 0.5% growth in the previous quarter, according to rebased data, compared with a previously reported contraction of 0.2% in Q2 and growth of 4.0% in the preceding period. The statistics agency announced a GDP rebasing using 2022 production patterns, adjusting sectoral weights to better reflect the structure of the economy. This rebasing revealed that South Africa’s economy is 4.9%, or ZAR 300 billion, larger than previously estimated, primarily due to the inclusion of growing activities such as online gambling, illegal mining, household solar, e-hailing, and online prostitution. source: Statistics South Africa

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in South Africa contracted 0.30 percent in the second quarter of 2026 over the previous quarter. GDP Growth Rate in South Africa averaged 0.57 percent from 1993 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 15.00 percent in the third quarter of 2020 and a record low of -17.90 percent in the second quarter of 2020. This page provides - South Africa GDP Growth Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. South Africa GDP Growth Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on November of 2026.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in South Africa contracted 0.30 percent in the second quarter of 2026 over the previous quarter. GDP Growth Rate in South Africa is expected to be 0.80 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the South Africa GDP Growth Rate is projected to trend around 0.50 percent in 2027 and 1.20 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-06-09 09:00 AM
GDP Growth Rate QoQ
Q1 0.5% 0.4% 0.3% 0.2%
2026-09-08 09:00 AM
GDP Growth Rate QoQ
Q2 -0.2% 0.4% -0.1% -0.2%
2026-12-01 09:30 AM
GDP Growth Rate QoQ
Q3 -0.2% 0.6%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
GDP Growth Rate YoY 1.00 2.10 percent Jun 2026
GDP Constant Prices 7193688.36 7213192.25 ZAR Million Jun 2026
GDP from Agriculture 188996.00 187804.00 ZAR Million Jun 2026
GDP from Construction 140581.00 140003.00 ZAR Million Jun 2026
GDP from Manufacturing 797133.32 812097.22 ZAR Million Jun 2026
GDP from Mining 551712.00 568905.00 ZAR Million Jun 2026
GDP from Public Administration 513774.00 508426.00 ZAR Million Jun 2026
GDP from Services 1677424.71 1667604.23 ZAR Million Jun 2026
GDP from Transport 521681.00 515972.00 ZAR Million Jun 2026
GDP from Utilities 189981.00 188268.00 ZAR Million Jun 2026
GDP Growth Rate -0.30 0.50 percent Jun 2026


South Africa GDP Growth Rate
South Africa is the most developed country in Africa and was the largest until 2014, when it was overtaken by Nigeria. The largest sector of the economy is services which accounts for around 73 percent of GDP. Within services, the most important are finance, real estate and business services (21.6 percent); government services (17 percent); wholesale, retail and motor trade, catering and accommodation (15 percent); and transport, storage and communication (9.3 percent). Manufacturing accounts for 13.9 percent; mining and quarrying for around 8.3 percent and agriculture for only 2.6 percent.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-0.30 0.50 15.00 -17.90 1993 - 2026 percent Quarterly
2022=100, SA

News Stream
South African Economy Bigger After Rebasing
South Africa’s economy shrank by 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in Q2 2026, following a 0.5% growth in the previous quarter, according to rebased data, compared with a previously reported contraction of 0.2% in Q2 and growth of 4.0% in the preceding period. The statistics agency announced a GDP rebasing using 2022 production patterns, adjusting sectoral weights to better reflect the structure of the economy. This rebasing revealed that South Africa’s economy is 4.9%, or ZAR 300 billion, larger than previously estimated, primarily due to the inclusion of growing activities such as online gambling, illegal mining, household solar, e-hailing, and online prostitution.
2026-10-29
South Africa Economy Contracts More than Expected
South Africa's economy shrank by 0.2% qoq in Q2 2026, reversing the revised 0.4% growth recorded in Q1 and worse than the expected 0.1% decline. This marked the first economic downturn since Q3 2024, snapping its longest quarterly growth run in almost a decade, amid the fallout from the Middle East conflict. Three of the ten industries contracted, led by trade, catering and accommodation (-1.9%), while energy-intensive manufacturing and mining fell 1.8% and 3.0%, respectively. Agriculture, however, provided some cushion, rising 0.3% on stronger activity in horticulture and field crops. Other sectors also grew, including utilities (1%) and government services (1%) and transport, storage and communication (0.9%). On the demand side, household and government consumption rose 0.4% each, while fixed investment fell 0.2%. Net exports shed 1.1 points as exports rose 0.9% and imports 4.9%. On a yearly basis, the GDP rose by 0.9% in Q2, down from 1.9% in Q1 and missing the expected 1% growth.
2026-09-08
South Africa Economy Expands More than Anticipated
The South African economy grew by 0.5% qoq in Q1 2026, up from a 0.4% rise in Q4 and slightly above forecasts of 0.3%, despite turbulence late in the period from the Iran war. This marked the sixth straight quarter of expansion and the strongest performance since Q2 2025, as nine of the ten industries registered growth. The finance, real estate and business services sector was the main contributor, rising 0.9%, followed by agriculture (+3.9%), trade (+0.7%) and transport (0.7%). Manufacturing, however, was the biggest drag, falling by 0.8%. From the demand side, net external demand contributed significantly (+0.9 percentage points), as exports rose 0.5% while imports fell 2.6%. Meanwhile, household consumption edged up 0.1% and government spending rose 0.6%, while fixed investment declined 1.1%. Changes in inventories subtracted 0.3 percentage points. On an annual basis, the GDP rose by 1.9% in Q1, accelerating from a 0.8% advance in Q4 and slightly above estimates of a 1.8% growth.
2026-06-09