Medical aid and transport costs nudge inflation higher
Consumer inflation edged up slightly from 4,0% in January 2019 to 4,1% in February 2019, remaining firmly within the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) inflation target range of 3%–6%. Notable drivers behind the rise were medical insurance and transport costs. Stats SA surveys health insurance fees in February of each year. On average, medical-aid schemes read more »
Consumer inflation cooled in March
Following a two-month upswing, headline inflation softened to 5,3% in March from 5,6% in February. The rate has held its ground between 5% and 6% since September 2023. The monthly change in the consumer price index (CPI) was 0,8% in March. This is lower than the 1,0% increase in February. The biggest movers in March The read more »
Inflation heats up for a second consecutive month
Annual consumer inflation quickened in February, rising to 5,6% from 5,3% in January and 5,1% in December. Product categories that drove much of the upward momentum include housing & utilities, miscellaneous goods & services (most notably, insurance), food and non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) and transport. A 10,3% month-on-month increase in medical aid premiums (in the miscellaneous read more »
International tourism to reach pre-pandemic levels.
Tourist arrivals in South Africa demonstrated a positive trend, with improvements in the numbers recorded from month to month during the period spanning 2021 to 2023. In December 2023, 3,5 million travellers were recorded at South African ports of entry/exit, surpassing the figures for both November 2023, which stood at 2,6 million, and December 2022, read more »
Public-sector capital expenditure increases in 2022
After five consecutive years of decline, capital expenditure in the public sector increased by R9,3 billion (4,6%), from R199,8 billion in 2021 to R209,1 billion in 2022. Extra-budgetary accounts and funds, national government, public corporations, provincial government and higher education institutions all recorded increases. However, there was a decline for local government, according to Stats SA’s Capital expenditure read more »
Inflation rises for a second consecutive month
Consumer price inflation increased to 5,4% in September from 4,8% in August. This brings the rate to the same level as June this year. Fuel prices cast a shadow The fuel index increased for a second consecutive month, rising by 7,6% between August and September. The price of inland 95-octane petrol jumped by R1,71 in read more »
Rising Non-Communicable Diseases: A Looming Health Crisis
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have emerged as a major global health challenge, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. A new report released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), Non-communicable diseases: Findings from death notifications (2008-2018), explores the changing landscape of NCDs in South Africa over time, highlighting key trends and insights. Data from the World Health Organization read more »
Inflation slows to 13-month low
Headline consumer inflation cooled for a second consecutive month in May to 6,3% from 6,8% in April. May’s reading is the lowest since April 2022 when the rate was 5,9%. The month-on-month change in the consumer price index (CPI) was 0,2% in May. The annual rate for food and non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) was 11,8%, lower than read more »
SA Tourism shows slight recovery after COVID-19 pandemic.
After a drastic drop in tourist arrivals in 2020 and 2021, the volume of tourist arrivals in South Africa is showing improvement. The Tourism 2022 report released by Statistics South Africa shows that the volume of tourists dropped by 72,6% from 10 228 593 in 2019 to 2 802 320 in 2020 and declined by 19,5% between 2020 and read more »