South Africa Retail Sales Growth Slows Sharply in August

In August 2025, South Africa's retail trade growth experienced a notable slowdown, registering a 2.3% increase year-on-year, a decline from July’s revised figure of 5.7%. This deceleration was observed across major sectors, such as general dealers, which recorded a growth of 0.8%, down from 3.3% in the previous month. Similarly, the textiles, clothing, and footwear segment saw an increase of just 1.6%, compared to July’s 9.9%. Sales of household furniture and appliances grew by 6.2%, down from 9.3%, while the hardware, paint, and glass sector reported an 8.1% rise, a decrease from 13.3%. Other retail categories reflected a growth of 7.9%, falling from 12.1%. In contrast, sales in food, beverages, and tobacco declined significantly by 3.7%, worsening from a 1.4% drop. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical and medical goods bucked the trend with a 4.1% increase, following a previous decline of 0.1%. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail trade fell by 1.2% in August, reversing the 2.3% growth observed in July.

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