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South Africa Retail Sales MoM

South Africa's retail sales contracted by 1.2% Month-over-Month in August 2025, a sharper decline than the 2.3% growth recorded in July 2025. This downturn follows persistent high food prices and increased transportation costs which have diminished consumer spending power. The annual inflation rate decreased to 3.3% in August with a monthly inflation rate of -0.1%. Food and non-alcoholic beverages saw a monthly decrease of 0.1%. The retail trade sector's year-on-year growth slowed to 2.3% in August from 5.6% in July. South Africa's record low retail sales MoM was -48.2% in April 2020 and record high was 65.2% in May 2020.

Monthly Historical Data (2002-2025)

(in %)
Month Retail Sales MoM
Aug 2025 -1.2%
Jul 2025 2.3%
Jun 2025 -0.1%
May 2025 0.1%
Apr 2025 1.1%
Mar 2025 -0.3%
Feb 2025 -1.1%
Jan 2025 0.9%
Dec 2024 -0.3%
Nov 2024 1%
Oct 2024 1.7%
Sep 2024 -0.7%
Aug 2024 0.7%
Jul 2024 -0.1%
Jun 2024 1.2%
May 2024 0%
Apr 2024 0%
Mar 2024 1.5%
Feb 2024 1%
Jan 2024 -2.6%
Dec 2023 2.6%
Nov 2023 1.3%
Oct 2023 -3.3%
Sep 2023 0.7%
Aug 2023 -0.1%
Jul 2023 1.3%
Jun 2023 -0.1%
May 2023 -0.9%
Apr 2023 -0.5%
Mar 2023 -0.1%
Feb 2023 -0.7%
Jan 2023 2.1%
Dec 2022 -1.9%
Nov 2022 1.2%
Oct 2022 -0.3%
Sep 2022 -0.7%
Aug 2022 -0.6%
Jul 2022 0.2%
Jun 2022 -0.8%
May 2022 -0.2%
Apr 2022 -0.9%
Mar 2022 0.5%
Feb 2022 -1.1%
Jan 2022 2.2%
Dec 2021 0.6%
Nov 2021 -0.1%
Oct 2021 0.1%
Sep 2021 2.3%
Aug 2021 5.8%
Jul 2021 -9.9%
Jun 2021 2.1%
May 2021 1.9%
Apr 2021 -0.1%
Mar 2021 -3.9%
Feb 2021 7.7%
Jan 2021 -3.3%
Dec 2020 0.6%
Nov 2020 -0.4%
Oct 2020 0.6%
Sep 2020 -0.3%
Aug 2020 5.2%
Jul 2020 0.3%
Jun 2020 6.5%
May 2020 65.2%
Apr 2020 -48.2%
Mar 2020 2.3%
Feb 2020 0.2%
Jan 2020 0.3%
Dec 2019 -3.4%
Nov 2019 1.9%
Oct 2019 0.4%
Sep 2019 -1.3%
Aug 2019 0.4%
Jul 2019 1.1%
Jun 2019 1.1%
May 2019 -0.3%
Apr 2019 0.3%
Mar 2019 0.5%
Feb 2019 0.2%
Jan 2019 -0.1%
Dec 2018 -1.7%
Nov 2018 0.7%
Oct 2018 0.3%
Sep 2018 -0.9%
Aug 2018 1.4%
Jul 2018 1.1%
Jun 2018 -0.1%
May 2018 0.3%
Apr 2018 -0.6%
Mar 2018 0.7%
Feb 2018 0.5%
Jan 2018 -2.7%
Dec 2017 1.1%
Nov 2017 1.3%
Oct 2017 -1.1%
Sep 2017 0.6%
Aug 2017 1.5%
Jul 2017 0.2%
Jun 2017 1.2%
May 2017 0.2%
Apr 2017 0.8%
Mar 2017 1.3%
Feb 2017 -0.3%
Jan 2017 -0.7%
Dec 2016 1.4%
Nov 2016 -0.5%
Oct 2016 0%
Sep 2016 0.7%
Aug 2016 -1.7%
Jul 2016 1.1%
Jun 2016 -0.4%
May 2016 0.5%
Apr 2016 0.7%
Mar 2016 -1%
Feb 2016 -0.6%
Jan 2016 0.4%
Dec 2015 2%
Nov 2015 -1.1%
Oct 2015 1.2%
Sep 2015 -0.2%
Aug 2015 0%
Jul 2015 1.1%
Jun 2015 0.8%
May 2015 -0.9%
Apr 2015 1.3%
Mar 2015 -0.4%
Feb 2015 0.1%
Jan 2015 1.4%
Dec 2014 0.4%
Nov 2014 -0.4%
Oct 2014 0.5%
Sep 2014 0.2%
Aug 2014 -0.2%
Jul 2014 1%
Jun 2014 -1%
May 2014 0.9%
Apr 2014 0.6%
Mar 2014 0.1%
Feb 2014 -1.4%
Jan 2014 1.2%
Dec 2013 -0.4%
Nov 2013 1.5%
Oct 2013 -0.7%
Sep 2013 -0.1%
Aug 2013 0.6%
Jul 2013 -2.1%
Jun 2013 2.5%
May 2013 0.4%
Apr 2013 -0.9%
Mar 2013 1.2%
Feb 2013 1.7%
Jan 2013 -1.4%
Dec 2012 1.6%
Nov 2012 -1.1%
Oct 2012 -2.3%
Sep 2012 3.2%
Aug 2012 0.1%
Jul 2012 -3.3%
Jun 2012 7.2%
May 2012 -3.6%
Apr 2012 0%
Mar 2012 1.8%
Feb 2012 0.3%
Jan 2012 -2.5%
Dec 2011 1.5%
Nov 2011 0.5%
Oct 2011 0.6%
Sep 2011 1.3%
Aug 2011 1.1%
Jul 2011 1.8%
Jun 2011 2.4%
May 2011 -4.9%
Apr 2011 3.5%
Mar 2011 0.4%
Feb 2011 -0.3%
Jan 2011 0.3%
Dec 2010 0.8%
Nov 2010 0.9%
Oct 2010 0.4%
Sep 2010 1.1%
Aug 2010 -3.5%
Jul 2010 1.6%
Jun 2010 1.9%
May 2010 2.4%
Apr 2010 -0.9%
Mar 2010 1.3%
Feb 2010 0.1%
Jan 2010 1.8%
Dec 2009 1.6%
Nov 2009 -1.3%
Oct 2009 0%
Sep 2009 0.3%
Aug 2009 -0.6%
Jul 2009 1.4%
Jun 2009 -1%
May 2009 1.4%
Apr 2009 -1.4%
Mar 2009 -1.1%
Feb 2009 -0.8%
Jan 2009 0%
Dec 2008 -0.4%
Nov 2008 -1.3%
Oct 2008 1.3%
Sep 2008 -0.9%
Aug 2008 0.5%
Jul 2008 -1.7%
Jun 2008 1.4%
May 2008 -2%
Apr 2008 0.5%
Mar 2008 -0.7%
Feb 2008 4.7%
Jan 2008 -1.6%
Dec 2007 -1.9%
Nov 2007 1.7%
Oct 2007 -1.4%
Sep 2007 -0.2%
Aug 2007 1.4%
Jul 2007 -0.4%
Jun 2007 -1.4%
May 2007 1.7%
Apr 2007 -0.5%
Mar 2007 2.8%
Feb 2007 0.8%
Jan 2007 -0.1%
Dec 2006 -2.3%
Nov 2006 3.4%
Oct 2006 -2.6%
Sep 2006 3.9%
Aug 2006 1%
Jul 2006 1.8%
Jun 2006 0.3%
May 2006 0.5%
Apr 2006 1.8%
Mar 2006 -0.2%
Feb 2006 3.5%
Jan 2006 -2.6%
Dec 2005 2.1%
Nov 2005 -0.3%
Oct 2005 2.8%
Sep 2005 1.1%
Aug 2005 1.9%
Jul 2005 0.6%
Jun 2005 1%
May 2005 0%
Apr 2005 2.8%
Mar 2005 -0.1%
Feb 2005 0.4%
Jan 2005 -1.8%
Dec 2004 1.4%
Nov 2004 -0.5%
Oct 2004 0.9%
Sep 2004 3.9%
Aug 2004 -3.2%
Jul 2004 1.6%
Jun 2004 2.5%
May 2004 2.2%
Apr 2004 0.1%
Mar 2004 -1.7%
Feb 2004 -0.9%
Jan 2004 5.4%
Dec 2003 0.8%
Nov 2003 2%
Oct 2003 -0.6%
Sep 2003 1.7%
Aug 2003 -0.6%
Jul 2003 1%
Jun 2003 -0.4%
May 2003 1.4%
Apr 2003 -1.1%
Mar 2003 3%
Feb 2003 -1.5%
Jan 2003 3.2%
Dec 2002 -0.5%
Nov 2002 0.9%
Oct 2002 0.3%
Sep 2002 -2.1%
Aug 2002 1.1%
Jul 2002 -1.2%
Jun 2002 -0.2%
May 2002 1%
Apr 2002 -1.2%
Mar 2002 2.1%
Feb 2002 -0.2%

Recent Events

datetime event actual previous consensus
2025-10-15 07:00 AM Retail Sales MoM (Aug) -1.2% 2.3% -
2025-09-17 07:00 AM Retail Sales MoM (Jul) 2.1% -0.1% -
2021-02-17 06:00 AM Retail Sales MoM (Dec) -0.8% 2.1% -

Next Release Date :

South Africa Retail Sales MoM : Definition
South Africa retail sales mom measures the percentage change in the total value of sales at the retail level compared to the prior month. It shows short-term consumer spending trends. Sales include durable and nondurable goods.
Indicator Last Value Prior Value Period
Consumer Confidence -13 points -10 points Sep'25
Retail Sales YoY 2.3% 5.7% Aug'25