South Africa: Manufacturing gains muted in December
February 12, 2019
A preliminary estimate showed an ailing manufacturing sector in December. According to Statistics South Africa, manufacturing output rose by a meager 0.1% over the same month a year earlier, down from November’s revised 1.3% climb (previously reported: +1.6% year-on-year). Despite upbeat gains in the motor vehicle, and food and beverage industries, losses in the petrochemical, and metal products and machinery industries dragged on the headline reading.
In month-on-month terms, manufacturing output rose 0.7% in seasonally-adjusted terms (November: +0.4% month-on-month s.a.). Meanwhile, annual average growth in manufacturing output ticked down to 1.1% from November’s 1.3%.
South Africa Manufacturing Output Forecast
FocusEconomics Consensus Forecast panelists expect manufacturing output to increase 1.5% in 2019, which is unchanged from last month’s forecast. For 2020, the panel expects manufacturing output to increase 2.1%.
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