After reaching its highest level in over two years in the fourth quarter of 2024, the latest Absa Manufacturing Survey recorded a slight dip in confidence in the first quarter of this year, falling by two points to 34 as an uncertain local and global environment impacted sentiment. 

“Internationally, geopolitical tensions, tariff increases in the US and possible disruptions to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) agreement, have started to weigh on manufacturers.

“Locally, proposed electricity tariff increases by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), the sudden re-introduction of loadshedding and the postponement of the Budget speech, which initially proposed a significant increase in value-added tax, also contributed to the uncertainty,” Absa Business Banking manufacturing sector executive Justin Schmidt points out.

As a result, the indicators that measure the political climate and business conditions deteriorated by 17 points each.

The quarterly survey, conducted by the Bureau for Economic Research at Stellenbosch University between February 5 and 24, involved about 700 businesspeople from the manufacturing sector. The confidence index ranges from 0 to 100, with 0 indicating an extreme lack of confidence and 100 representing extreme confidence.

Seasonally, the first quarter is typically a quieter period for the manufacturing sector and this year proved no exception. Dampened demand in the domestic market, primarily owing to limited consumer purchasing power, continued to weigh heavily on the sector. Domestic sales fell by 18 points, domestic orders received dropped by nine points and domestic selling prices per production unit also shrank by eight points.

The metals and machinery and chemicals subsectors were the biggest contributors to the overall drop in confidence. In contrast, the food and beverage and transport subsectors showed notable improvements in sentiment, rising by six points and 14 points, respectively. Confidence in the metal and machinery sector plummeted sharply to 29 from 41 points in the previous quarter, possibly driven by local challenges and the ongoing global oversupply of steel.

However, there are positives: export demand rose by 15 points, moving into positive territory, and export orders received increased by 12 points. Although export selling prices per production unit declined, the results were better than anticipated.

"Compared to the averages for 2024, most indicators for the first quarter of 2025 show an improvement, suggesting that manufacturing conditions could be better than last year," adds Schmidt. "Despite constraints such as raw material shortages, and lower local demand, the outlook is better than the same period last year."

Manufacturers also seem to be signalling a more positive outlook for investment. According to the index, the likelihood of investing in fixed assets improved by 12 points. The indicators that measure investment constraints, such as insufficient demand, cost of credit and tax structures, have also shown signs of improvement. Additionally, manufacturers are expecting export volumes to increase during the year, demonstrated by a 12-point surge.

While indicators for current activities remained stable, manufacturers noted a decrease in the shortage of skilled and semiskilled workers, which could provide some relief moving forward.

Absa continues to support the manufacturing sector through a range of financial and non-financial solutions, offering deep sector expertise and a commitment to helping businesses navigate this critical period.