South Africa’s gold sector recorded a sharper contraction in September 2026, with production falling 7.5% year-on-year, according to data updated on 12 November 2026. The latest figure marks a deterioration from August 2026, when output declined 5.7% compared with the same month a year earlier.
The data are presented on a year-over-year basis, meaning September’s result reflects the change in production compared with September 2025, while the previous reading measures August 2026 against August 2025. The deepening negative rate suggests that pressures on South Africa’s gold mining industry intensified as the third quarter progressed, underscoring ongoing challenges for one of the country’s historically key export sectors.
