South African business mood brightens to best level since March 2022
South African business sentiment rose its highest level since the first quarter of 2022, as constant electricity supply and political stability supported better business conditions.
A quarterly business confidence index compiled by FirstRand's Rand Merchant Bank and Stellenbosch University’s Bureau for Economic Research rose to 45 for the three months through December, up from 38 during the prior quarter, according to a report published on Wednesday.
“The continued absence of load-shedding and political stability following the May 29 election has helped with the recovery,” the report noted, using the local expression for power cuts. “An improvement in consumer demand seems to have provided a further boost to sentiment in the fourth quarter.”
The improvement marked the third consecutive increase in the gauge, which now stands almost 20 points above a recent low of 27 reached in the second quarter of 2023. It also underscores the brightening mood among businesses after the post-election formation of a broad governing coalition focused on boosting economic growth and job creation.
The alliance, which joins the African National Congress with the centrist Democratic Alliance and several smaller parties, was forced after the ANC lost its national majority in the vote for the first time since 1994.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Multotec, recognised industry leaders in metallurgy and process engineering help mining houses across the world process minerals more efficiently,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Weir is a global leader in mining technology. We recognise that our planet’s future depends on the transition to renewable energy, and that...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
