September 2019

Moody’s Lowers SA Economic Growth Outlook to 0.7% 11 September 2019 – Moody’s says the growth forecast of all G20 countries, which includes South Africa, was revised downwards due to external factors such as US-China trade tensions and the global economic slowdown. Credit rating agency Moody’s has lowered South Africa’s economic growth outlook to 0.7%, from 1% […]

Moody’s Unpacks Liquidity of SA Companies 10 September 2019 – Liquidity of 18 rated South African companies is adequate, but is also weakening, an analysis by Moody’s has revealed. The report, released by Moody’s on Monday, unpacks the liquidity position of non-financial corporates in South Africa. Moody’s analyses companies operating in the real estate, mining,

Tariffs not the Only Barrier to African Continental Free Trade Agreement 9 September 2019 – Tariffs alone are not the only barriers to the recently signed African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), according to the Deidre Samson, a futures consultant and new knowledge market executive at the Institute for Futures Research (IFR), a unit for

SA’s Current Account Deficit Widens in Second Quarter – Trade Balance Also Swings to a Deficit South Africa’s widening current account deficit will slow the positive momentum generated by GDP’s expansion of 3.1% in Q2 6 September 2019 – South Africa’s current account deficit widened more than expected in the second quarter from the first, and

4 Reasons to be Hopeful About South Africa’s Economy 4 September 2019 – Markets responded positively to South Africa’s economic growth rebounding in the second quarter, up 3.1%, and 0.9% for the year to June 2019. The rand appreciated by some 10 cents against the greenback on publication of the data, and bonds yields declined

SA Dodges Recession as GDP climbs 3,1% in Q2 2019 4 September 2019 – After shrinking sharply in the first quarter of 2019, the economy rebounded from a low base to record positive growth of 3,1%1 in the second quarter (April−June). Mining, finance, trade and government services were the main drivers of growth. Three industries (construction,

PMI Plunges by 6.4 Points in August 3 September 2019 – The ABSA Purchasing Managers’ Index plunged 6.4points to 45.7points last month as the business activity and new sales orders indices slumped back into contractionary terrain from 52.1points in July.  Purchasing managers said that they expected conditions in manufacturing activity to worsen from already weak

SA’s First Trade Deficit in Three Months Surprises Economists But July’s deficit of R2.88bn is an improvement on the deficit of R4.56bn recorded in July 2018 2 September 2019 – SA recorded a surprise trade deficit of R2.88bn in July from an upward revised surplus of R5.5bn in the previous month. July’s deficit is attributable