Current Account in South Africa
South Africa - Current Account
South Africa’s economy appears to be slowly turning the page from last year’s short-lived recession, although available fourth-quarter data has been offbeat. On the demand side, retail sales were uneven through December, while the late-year correction in fuel costs sent inflation tumbling towards the South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) midpoint target in December. Meanwhile, from the supply side, economic sentiment notched a recovery through year-end in line with stabilizing manufacturing-sector gains. All this follows an expectations-defying third-quarter rebound fueled by a build-up of inventories, as well a comeback in household spending on the heels of last year’s value-added tax hike. Looking ahead to the current quarter, however, a number of headwinds threaten to knock the recovery off course. These include this year’s budget announcement on 20 February, which is likely to detail last year’s missed fiscal targets and could throw the government’s sovereign ratings back into the spotlight. Moreover, troubles at Eskom, the state-owned power utility, have sparked rolling blackouts and its crippled finances could potentially destabilize the economy.South Africa - Current Account Data
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Account (% of GDP) | -5.8 | -5.1 | -4.6 | -2.8 | -2.5 |
South Africa Current Account Chart
Source: South African Reserve Bank and FocusEconomics calculations.
South Africa Facts
| Value | Change | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bond Yield | 8.66 | 0.29 % | Mar 11 |
| Exchange Rate | 14.37 | -0.21 % | Mar 11 |
| Stock Market | 0.6 | -0.44 % | Mar 11 |
Sample Report
Get a sample report showing our regional, country and commodities data and analysis.
Start Your Free Trial
Start working with the reports used by the world’s major financial institutions, multinational enterprises & government agencies now. Click on the button below to get started.
Economic News
South Africa: Manufacturing stalls once more in January
March 18, 2019
A preliminary estimate revealed little improvement for the manufacturing sector at the outset of the year.
South Africa: Fixed investment weighs on consumer spending- and net export-led growth in Q4 2018
March 5, 2019
South Africa’s economy slumped through last year-end but nonetheless expanded modestly in seasonally-adjusted and annualized (saar) terms.
South Africa: Private-sector output stabilizes in February
March 5, 2019
In February, the Standard Bank Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) climbed 0.6 points to 50.2 points, landing above the 50-point threshold that distinguishes improvement from deterioration in the South African private sector for the first time in eight months. February’s reading reflected a more moderate fall in new orders, as well as stabilizing output on the heels of a seven-month decline.
South Africa: Inflation touches 10-month low in January
February 20, 2019
Consumer prices fell 0.2% from a month earlier in January, in line with December’s outturn but landing below analysts’ expectations.
South Africa: Manufacturing gains muted in December
February 12, 2019
A preliminary estimate showed an ailing manufacturing sector in December.
© Copyright: 2019 | South Africa Current Account | Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | RSS feed ...
