South Africa’s manufacturing sector contracted further in May 2026, with output falling 4.3% year-over-year, according to data updated on 9 July 2026. This marks a sharper decline than in April 2026, when manufacturing production dropped 2.9% compared with the same month a year earlier.
The worsening year-over-year performance underscores mounting pressure on South Africa’s industrial base as it moves deeper into negative territory. The May figures suggest that the sector’s weakness is not just persisting but intensifying, raising concerns about the broader economic outlook and the potential drag on growth if the trend continues through the remainder of the year.
