South Africa’s private sector credit increased 8.57% year-on-year in May 2026, easing from a 9.20% rise in the previous month. Private Sector Credit in South Africa averaged 12.71 percent from 1966 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 35.88 percent in July of 1981 and a record low of -2.35 percent in May of 1966. source: South African Reserve Bank

Private Sector Credit in South Africa decreased to 8.57 percent in May from 9.20 percent in April of 2026.

Private Sector Credit in South Africa decreased to 8.57 percent in May from 9.20 percent in April of 2026. Private Sector Credit in South Africa is expected to be 9.60 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the South Africa Private Sector Credit is projected to trend around 7.00 percent in 2027 and 8.00 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-05-29 08:00 AM
Private Sector Credit YoY
Apr 9.2% 8.5% 7.9%
2026-06-30 06:00 AM
Private Sector Credit YoY
May 8.57% 9.2% 9.4%
2026-07-29 06:00 AM
Private Sector Credit YoY
Jun 8.57% 9.6%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Prime Overdraft Rate 10.50 10.50 percent Jun 2026
Consumer Spending 3280358.00 3277648.94 ZAR Million Mar 2026
Disposable Personal Income 5145095.00 5095069.00 ZAR Million Mar 2026
Households Debt to Income 61.90 62.70 percent Dec 2025
Private Sector Credit YoY 8.57 9.20 percent May 2026


South Africa Private Sector Credit
Private sector credit measures year over year change in the bank lending to domestic private sector.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
8.57 9.20 35.88 -2.35 1966 - 2026 percent Monthly

News Stream
South Africa Private Credit Rises Further
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2026-02-27
South Africa Private Sector Credit Growth Hits Three-Year High
South Africa’s private sector credit advanced 8.74% year-on-year in December 2025, following a 7.79% rise in the previous month, and marking the fastest pace of growth since October 2022. Meanwhile, the broadly defined M3 measure of money supply rose 8.16% to a fresh record high of ZAR 5,882,466 million in December 2025 from 8.26% increase in the previous month.
2026-01-30
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