Johannesburg — South Africa’s headline consumer inflation edged up to 4.4% year-on-year in August, from 4.3% in July, according to data released by the country’s statistics agency on Wednesday.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices were unchanged in August, compared with a 0.2% increase in July.
Key Inflation Movements
| Category | Aug. Y/Y | July Y/Y | Aug. M/M | July M/M |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & non-alcoholic beverages | 1.1% | 0.9% | 0.1% | -0.2% |
| Housing & utilities | 5.2% | 5.2% | 0.0% | 2.2% |
| Transport | 8.8% | 8.9% | -0.4% | -2.7% |
| Restaurants & accommodation | 5.7% | 5.2% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Education | 5.4% | 5.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Insurance & financial services | 5.7% | 5.7% | 0.0% | -0.1% |
| Health | 3.4% | 3.7% | -0.1% | 0.1% |
| All items | 4.4% | 4.3% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
The figures show continued price pressure in several services categories. Inflation in restaurants and accommodation accelerated to 5.7% year-on-year from 5.2%, while food and non-alcoholic beverages rose to 1.1% from 0.9%.
Transport inflation remained elevated at 8.8%, although it eased slightly from 8.9% in July.
Source: Reuters
Reporting: Sfundo Parakozov & Nilutpal Timsina
Editing: Alexander Winning
