South Africa Retail Trade Rises More than Expected

South Africa’s retail trade rose at a faster 3.5% year-on-year in November 2025, after an upwardly revised 3% advance in October and above market estimates of a 2.5% increase. This signaled the strongest growth in retail activity in four months, mainly on account of general dealers (+2.2%, +1.0 percentage points); all ‘other’ retailers (+8.0%, +0.8 pp); and retailers of pharmaceuticals, medical goods, cosmetics, and toiletries (+10.1%, +0.6 pp). Meanwhile, sales of food, beverages and tobacco continued to fall (-0.8% vs -2.3%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail trade went up by 0.6%, following an upwardly revised 1% rise in the previous month. Retail trade sales grew by 3.2% in the three months ended November 2025 compared with the three months ended November 2024.

South Africa’s retail trade rose by 2.9% year-on-year in October 2025, following a downwardly revised 3% increase in September and above market forecasts of a 2.3% growth. Categories making the largest positive contributions to this increase included textiles, clothing, footwear, and leather goods (+5.8%, contributing 1 percentage point); all ‘other’ retailers (+7.2%, 0.7 point); household furniture, appliances, and equipment (+13.0%, 0.5 point); and hardware, paint, and glass (+5.8%, 0.5 point). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail trade went up by 0.9% in October, after a revised 0.1% decrease in the previous month.

South Africa’s retail trade rose by 3.1% year-on-year in September 2025, accelerating from a downwardly revised 2.2% increase in August, almost in line with analysts' forecasts of 3%. Key contributors included general dealers, up 1.9% (+0.9 points); textile, clothing, footwear, and leather goods retailers, up 4.4% (+0.7 points); and household furniture, appliances, and equipment retailers, up 11.4% (+0.5 points). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail trade was flat in September, after a revised 1.6% decrease in the prior month. Retail trade sales rose by 3.6% in the third quarter of 2025 compared with the third quarter of 2024.