South Africa: Manufacturing gains pick up in March
Manufacturing output increased 1.2% year-on-year in March, up from a revised 0.5% increase in February (previously reported: +0.6% year-on-year). All told, output gains in the petroleum and chemicals industries; and the metals and machinery industries drove the faster outturn. South Africa’s motor vehicle industries, on the other hand, recorded output losses.
On a month-on-month basis, manufacturing output rose 0.8% in seasonally-adjusted terms (February: -2.0% month-on-month s.a.)..