South Africa Factory Output Posts Surprise Rebound

2025-11-11 11:14 By Luisa Carvalho 1 min. read

Manufacturing output in South Africa rose by 0.3% year-on-year in September 2025, recovering from a 1.5% decrease in the prior month and better than analysts' estimates of 0.3% fall.

This marked the first month of industrial growth, albeit very mild, following two consecutive months of decline.

The motor vehicles, parts and accessories, and other transport equipment (+7.6%, adding 0.5 points) and the food and beverages divisions (+1.8%, adding 0.5 points) were the biggest positive contributors.

Declines in electrical machinery (-7.3%); wood and wood products, paper, publishing and printing (-5.3%) and basic iron and steel, non-ferrous metal products, metal products and machinery (-1.2%) partly offset the overall increase.

On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, factory output shrank by 0.5%, after an upwardly revised 0.7% increase in the previous month.

Manufacturing production rose by 0.1% in the third quarter of 2025 compared with the second quarter of 2025.



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