South Africa Retail Sales Growth Eases To 3.1%

(RTTNews) - South Africa's retail sales growth eased in December after accelerating in the previous two months, data from Statistics South Africa showed on Wednesday.

On an unadjusted basis, retail sales rose 3.1 percent year-on-year in December, much slower than the 7.6 percent increase in the prior month.

Sales of textiles, clothing, footwear, and leather goods grew the most by 7.8 percent annually in December, followed by household furniture, appliances, and equipment by a 5.5 percent rise. Meanwhile, sales of hardware, paint, and glass were 1.4 percent lower.

On a monthly basis, retail sales dropped 0.1 percent in December versus a 1.0 percent increase in the prior month.

In 2024, retail trade sales increased by 2.5 percent compared with 2023, the agency said.