August 2026

13 August 2026 – South Africa’s economic activity picked up in July after two consecutive months of decline, offering a small but welcome sign of resilience in an economy that has struggled to build sustained momentum. The PayInc Economic Index increased in July, albeit by a marginal 0.3%, following declines of 2% in May and […]

11 August 2026 – Major US container port import volumes are expected to remain high this month after the peak shipping season arrived earlier than usual and volumes began declining for the remainder of the year. This is according to the latest Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett

7 August 2026 – A gauge measuring South African manufacturer sentiment slumped to the lowest level in seven months over concerns that escalating hostilities in the Middle East could impact demand. Absa’s Purchasing Managers’ Index, compiled by the Bureau for Economic Research, remained in contractionary territory for a second month. It fell to 46.8 in

5 August 2026 – Industry organisation the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) has revised its total export estimate for this year downward to 205.3-million 15 kg cartons, from the pre-season estimate of 209.4-million 15 kg cartons. With all varieties included, the industry has now reached the peak of the export period, which has placed considerable

3 August 2026 – South African Revenue Service (SARS) showed ​the country recorded a trade surplus of 17.75 billion ⁠rand in June, far exceeding analysts’ forecast ​of a 3.45 billion rand surplus and signalling resilience ​in the external sector. This surplus was attributable to exports of R193.6 billion and imports of R175.8 billion, inclusive of