South Africa’s seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 50.7 in September 2026 from 45.8 in the previous month, returning to positive territory for the first time since May. New sales orders climbed to 50.8 from 40.3, while the business activity index also recovered to 49.3 after falling sharply to 40.2 in August. However, actual business activity remained just below the neutral 50 mark, while employment weakened and order backlogs remained subdued. Logistics bottlenecks persisted amid shipping delays at Durban Port, while input price pressures remained elevated. Looking ahead, manufacturers remained cautiously optimistic about the outlook, with the expected business conditions index for the next six months edging up to 55.3 from 54.7. source: Bureau for Economic Research (BER)

Manufacturing PMI in South Africa increased to 50.70 points in September from 45.80 points in August of 2026. Manufacturing PMI in South Africa averaged 50.59 points from 1999 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 59.99 points in April of 2021 and a record low of 30.88 points in April of 2020. This page provides the latest reported value for - South Africa Manufacturing PMI - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Manufacturing PMI in South Africa increased to 50.70 points in September from 45.80 points in August of 2026. Manufacturing PMI in South Africa is expected to be 50.30 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the South Africa Manufacturing PMI is projected to trend around 52.00 points in 2027 and 51.60 points in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bankruptcies 227.00 239.00 Companies Aug 2026
Business Confidence 38.00 39.00 points Sep 2026
Capacity Utilization 77.00 76.00 percent Jun 2026
Car Registrations 44291.00 41216.00 Units Sep 2026
Changes in Inventories 8848.00 -17673.00 ZAR Million Jun 2026
SACCI Business Confidence 134.30 135.10 points Sep 2026
Composite Leading Indicator 100.18 100.22 points Sep 2026
Corruption Index 41.00 41.00 Points Dec 2025
Corruption Rank 81.00 82.00 Dec 2025
Electricity Production 18816.00 19416.00 Gigawatt-hour Aug 2026
Gold Production YoY -5.70 -7.30 percent Aug 2026
Manufacturing Production YoY -4.30 1.10 percent Aug 2026
Manufacturing Production MoM -3.10 2.20 percent Aug 2026
Leading Business Cycle Indicator MoM -0.90 -1.00 percent Jul 2026
Mining Production YoY -12.70 -7.00 percent Aug 2026
Total New Vehicle Sales 61650.00 57760.00 Units Sep 2026


South Africa Manufacturing PMI
The Absa Manufacturing PMI is a monthly survey of purchasing managers in South Africa's manufacturing sector. The index provides leading indications of business conditions in the sector. A reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally declining.

News Stream
South Africa Factory Activity Returns to Growth: Absa
South Africa’s seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 50.7 in September 2026 from 45.8 in the previous month, returning to positive territory for the first time since May. New sales orders climbed to 50.8 from 40.3, while the business activity index also recovered to 49.3 after falling sharply to 40.2 in August. However, actual business activity remained just below the neutral 50 mark, while employment weakened and order backlogs remained subdued. Logistics bottlenecks persisted amid shipping delays at Durban Port, while input price pressures remained elevated. Looking ahead, manufacturers remained cautiously optimistic about the outlook, with the expected business conditions index for the next six months edging up to 55.3 from 54.7.
2026-10-01
South Africa Factory Activity Downturn Deepens: Absa
South Africa’s seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell further to 45.8 in August 2026 from 46.8 in July, marking the third consecutive month of contraction in factory activity and the steepest since last December. Business activity plunged to 40.2, its lowest level this year, while new orders fell to 40.3, erasing July’s gains. The deterioration was largely domestic, reflecting subdued demand, weak consumer confidence and reduced spending on non-essential goods, while export sales provided some relief. The labour market also remained under pressure, but the pace of factory job losses slowed. Despite the downturn, manufacturers became more confident about the future, with the index measuring six-month expectations rising to 54.7 from 49.3 and returning above the neutral threshold. The stronger outlook suggests firms see the current weakness as temporary, although weak orders and production remain significant near-term headwinds.
2026-09-01
South Africa Factory Activity Contracts Again: Absa
South Africa’s seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) dropped to 46.8 in July 2026 from 47.3 in June, contracting for a second consecutive month. Domestic demand and production continued to recover, with shorter supplier delivery times. Inventories declined further as firms remain uncertain that strong demand will persist, although some firms could be delaying purchases expecting lower input costs in the future. Input cost pressures remain elevated relative to the pre-war period, with increases in diesel prices expected to put renewed pressures on costs. Nevertheless, peak inflationary pressures have likely passed, barring any further upsurge in global energy costs. Looking ahead, firms expect business conditions to weaken as renewed tensions in the Middle East push up oil prices, making firms questions the durability of recent improvements in activity.
2026-08-03