FX.co ★ South Africa Producer inflation Softens for 3rd Month

South Africa’s producer price inflation eased for the third consecutive month, slowing to 5% in August 2026 from 5.7% in July — its lowest rate since April. The deceleration was driven primarily by a more moderate rise in the prices of coke, petroleum, chemical, rubber, and plastic products (up 13.6% year-on-year versus 15.7% in July), including a sharp slowdown in petrol price inflation (20.9% vs 29.4%) and chemicals (5.4% vs 6%). In addition, prices declined in the food products category (-0.6% vs +0.3%), led by notable drops in meat and meat products (-5.8%) and grain mill products (-8.6%). On a monthly basis, the producer price index (PPI) fell by 0.4% in August, following a 1% decline in July.