Retail sales in South Africa increased by 2.6% year-on-year in December 2025, easing from an upwardly revised 3.6% rise in November. This was the weakest annual growth in retail activity since August, although overall sales remained relatively subdued.
The loss of momentum was most pronounced in sales of pharmaceuticals and medical goods, cosmetics and toiletries, where growth slowed to 1.4% from 9.8% in November, and in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods, where sales edged up just 0.1% compared with 3% previously. Spending on food, beverages and tobacco fell sharply, contracting by 5.6% after a marginal 0.2% increase in the prior month.
On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, retail trade volumes declined by 0.4% in December, the steepest fall in four months, following a 0.6% increase in November. For 2025 as a whole, retail trade sales were up 3.7% compared with 2024.
