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Economy Live

The South African economy

Rates, the rand, prices, jobs and growth — live where the source is live, every figure with its official source and the period it covers.

Rand per US dollar · ECB reference rateR16.56▼ 5.2% over 1y

What the numbers say

  • -5.2%

    The dollar costs less rand than a year ago — the rand is stronger.

  • 2.85%

    Real repo rate: the repo rate (7.25%) less inflation (4.4%). Above zero, money is tight.

  • R169.59

    More a month on a R1 million, 20-year bond for every 0.25 point rise in prime (now 10.75%). Illustration, not advice.

  • 1.9%

    Average yearly GDP growth over 2021–2025 (World Bank).

  • 60%

    Of young people (15–24) in the labour force are unemployed — 2025, World Bank / ILO.

  • +R3.33

    Change in the inland 95 petrol price per litre, October 2026.

The official figures

The rand

Rand per unit of each currency, European Central Bank reference rates, working days.

US dollarHigh R17.47 (2025-11-04) · Low R15.67 (2026-01-29)
2025-10-14: R17.462025-10-20: R17.322025-10-24: R17.332025-10-30: R17.352025-11-05: R17.442025-11-11: R17.172025-11-17: R17.082025-11-21: R17.362025-11-27: R17.172025-12-03: R17.082025-12-09: R17.072025-12-15: R16.782025-12-19: R16.782025-12-29: R16.662026-01-05: R16.482026-01-09: R16.582026-01-15: R16.372026-01-21: R16.312026-01-27: R15.992026-02-02: R16.032026-02-06: R16.122026-02-12: R15.902026-02-18: R16.022026-02-24: R16.012026-03-02: R16.162026-03-06: R16.722026-03-12: R16.542026-03-18: R16.882026-03-24: R17.102026-03-30: R17.192026-04-07: R16.892026-04-13: R16.592026-04-17: R16.392026-04-23: R16.472026-04-29: R16.602026-05-06: R16.402026-05-12: R16.532026-05-18: R16.622026-05-22: R16.482026-05-28: R16.352026-06-03: R16.272026-06-09: R16.452026-06-15: R16.212026-06-19: R16.472026-06-25: R16.562026-07-01: R16.432026-07-07: R16.242026-07-13: R16.362026-07-17: R16.512026-07-23: R16.442026-07-29: R16.752026-08-04: R16.442026-08-10: R16.182026-08-14: R16.172026-08-20: R16.172026-08-26: R15.922026-09-01: R16.162026-09-07: R15.992026-09-11: R16.162026-09-17: R16.252026-09-23: R16.352026-09-29: R16.372026-10-05: R16.632026-10-09: R16.532026-10-15: R16.56
R17.30 · R16.57 · R15.842025-10 → 2026-10
  • EuroR18.56rand stronger 8.0%
  • British poundR21.93rand stronger 5.3%
  • Chinese yuanR2.47rand weaker 1.2%
What R1 000 buys today
  • 60.40 US dollars
  • 53.89 Euros
  • 45.59 British pounds
  • 404.12 Chinese yuans

Rates & money

The Reserve Bank’s repo rate sets what banks charge; prime is repo plus 3.5 points.

Repo rate7.25%from 25 Sep 2026
Prime lending rate10.75%from 25 Sep 2026
Real repo rate2.85%repo less CPI inflation
R1m bond, 20 years, at primeR10 152.29a month · illustration
Average bank lending rate, yearlyWorld Bank · to 2025
1994-12-31: 15.6%1995-12-31: 17.9%1996-12-31: 19.5%1997-12-31: 20.0%1998-12-31: 21.8%1999-12-31: 18.0%2000-12-31: 14.5%2001-12-31: 13.8%2002-12-31: 15.8%2003-12-31: 15.0%2004-12-31: 11.3%2005-12-31: 10.6%2006-12-31: 11.2%2007-12-31: 13.2%2008-12-31: 15.1%2009-12-31: 11.7%2010-12-31: 9.8%2011-12-31: 9.0%2012-12-31: 8.8%2013-12-31: 8.5%2014-12-31: 9.1%2015-12-31: 9.4%2016-12-31: 10.5%2017-12-31: 10.4%2018-12-31: 10.1%2019-12-31: 10.1%2020-12-31: 7.7%2021-12-31: 7.0%2022-12-31: 8.8%2023-12-31: 11.5%2024-12-31: 11.6%2025-12-31: 10.7%
20.4% · 14.4% · 8.4%1994-12 → 2025-12

Prices

Consumer inflation: how much more the same basket costs than a year before.

CPI inflation, latest4.4%August 2026 · Stats SA
Petrol 95, inlandR30.25per litre · October 2026
Inflation by yearWorld Bank · 1994–2025
1994-12-31: 8.9%1995-12-31: 8.7%1996-12-31: 7.3%1997-12-31: 8.6%1998-12-31: 6.9%1999-12-31: 5.2%2000-12-31: 5.3%2001-12-31: 5.7%2002-12-31: 9.5%2003-12-31: 5.7%2004-12-31: -0.7%2005-12-31: 2.1%2006-12-31: 3.2%2007-12-31: 6.2%2008-12-31: 9.9%2009-12-31: 7.2%2010-12-31: 4.1%2011-12-31: 5.0%2012-12-31: 5.7%2013-12-31: 5.8%2014-12-31: 6.1%2015-12-31: 4.5%2016-12-31: 6.6%2017-12-31: 5.2%2018-12-31: 4.5%2019-12-31: 4.1%2020-12-31: 3.2%2021-12-31: 4.6%2022-12-31: 7.0%2023-12-31: 6.1%2024-12-31: 4.4%2025-12-31: 3.2%
8.9% · 4.6% · 0.3%1994-12 → 2025-12

Jobs & growth

How fast the economy grows, and how many people it leaves without work.

Unemployment, official33.6%Q2 2026 · Stats SA
GDP growth, latest quarter-0.2%Q2 2026 · Stats SA
Youth unemployment (15–24)60%2025 · World Bank / ILO
GDP per personUS$6 5982025 · World Bank
GDP growth by yearWorld Bank
1994: 3.2%1995: 3.1%1996: 4.3%1997: 2.6%1998: 0.5%1999: 2.4%2000: 4.2%2001: 2.7%2002: 3.7%2003: 3.0%2004: 4.5%2005: 5.3%2006: 5.6%2007: 5.4%2008: 3.2%2009: -1.5%2010: 3.0%2011: 3.2%2012: 2.4%2013: 2.5%2014: 1.4%2015: 1.3%2016: 0.7%2017: 1.2%2018: 1.6%2019: 0.3%2020: -6.2%2021: 4.9%2022: 2.1%2023: 0.8%2024: 0.5%2025: 1.1%
6.2% · −6.2%1994 → 2025
Unemployment by yearWorld Bank / ILO
1994-12-31: 23.1%1995-12-31: 22.7%1996-12-31: 22.5%1997-12-31: 22.6%1998-12-31: 22.7%1999-12-31: 22.9%2000-12-31: 22.8%2001-12-31: 22.6%2002-12-31: 22.6%2003-12-31: 22.7%2004-12-31: 22.6%2005-12-31: 22.5%2006-12-31: 22.3%2007-12-31: 22.3%2008-12-31: 22.4%2009-12-31: 23.5%2010-12-31: 24.7%2011-12-31: 24.6%2012-12-31: 24.7%2013-12-31: 24.6%2014-12-31: 24.9%2015-12-31: 25.1%2016-12-31: 26.5%2017-12-31: 27.0%2018-12-31: 26.9%2019-12-31: 28.5%2020-12-31: 29.2%2021-12-31: 34.0%2022-12-31: 33.3%2023-12-31: 32.1%2024-12-31: 32.3%2025-12-31: 32.4%
32.9% · 28.1% · 23.4%1994-12 → 2025-12

Trade & investment

What the country sells and buys abroad, what it borrows, and what investors bring in — as a share of GDP.

Exports, % of GDPWorld Bank
1994-12-31: 19.6%1995-12-31: 20.0%1996-12-31: 21.8%1997-12-31: 21.7%1998-12-31: 22.5%1999-12-31: 22.3%2000-12-31: 24.4%2001-12-31: 26.4%2002-12-31: 28.4%2003-12-31: 23.9%2004-12-31: 22.8%2005-12-31: 23.6%2006-12-31: 26.1%2007-12-31: 28.0%2008-12-31: 32.3%2009-12-31: 25.0%2010-12-31: 25.8%2011-12-31: 27.7%2012-12-31: 27.1%2013-12-31: 28.4%2014-12-31: 29.0%2015-12-31: 27.7%2016-12-31: 28.2%2017-12-31: 27.3%2018-12-31: 27.5%2019-12-31: 27.2%2020-12-31: 27.6%2021-12-31: 31.2%2022-12-31: 33.5%2023-12-31: 33.3%2024-12-31: 31.8%2025-12-31: 31.4%
32.2% · 26.5% · 20.9%1994-12 → 2025-12
Current account balance, % of GDPWorld Bank
1994: 0.0%1995: -1.4%1996: -1.0%1997: -1.3%1998: -1.4%1999: -0.5%2000: -0.1%2001: 0.3%2002: 0.8%2003: -0.8%2004: -2.5%2005: -2.8%2006: -4.0%2007: -4.9%2008: -5.2%2009: -2.4%2010: -1.3%2011: -2.0%2012: -4.7%2013: -5.3%2014: -4.8%2015: -4.3%2016: -2.6%2017: -2.4%2018: -3.0%2019: -2.6%2020: 2.0%2021: 3.8%2022: -0.3%2023: -1.1%2024: -0.6%2025: -0.4%
5.3% · −5.3%1994 → 2025
Foreign direct investment in, % of GDPWorld Bank
1994: 0.2%1995: 0.7%1996: 0.5%1997: 2.3%1998: 0.4%1999: 1.0%2000: 0.6%2001: 5.4%2002: 1.1%2003: 0.4%2004: 0.3%2005: 2.3%2006: 0.2%2007: 2.0%2008: 3.1%2009: 2.3%2010: 0.9%2011: 0.9%2012: 1.1%2013: 2.0%2014: 1.5%2015: 0.4%2016: 0.7%2017: 0.5%2018: 1.4%2019: 1.3%2020: 0.9%2021: 9.7%2022: 2.3%2023: 1.0%2024: 0.6%2025: -0.5%
9.7% · −9.7%1994 → 2025
Government debt, % of GDPWorld Bank
1994-12-31: 45%1995-12-31: 45%1996-12-31: 44%1997-12-31: 43%1998-12-31: 45%1999-12-31: 42%2000-12-31: 40%2015-12-31: 53%2016-12-31: 54%2017-12-31: 56%2018-12-31: 59%2019-12-31: 65%2020-12-31: 76%2021-12-31: 74%2022-12-31: 76%2023-12-31: 79%2024-12-31: 83%
79% · 61% · 44%1994-12 → 2024-12

Business activity

From Business.co.za itself: owners listing their businesses, where the 10 060 businesses are, and what the business press is covering.

Businesses listed by their owners, each monthlast 12 months
2025-11: 22025-12: 92026-01: 42026-02: 52026-03: 32026-04: 72026-05: 32026-06: 52026-07: 52026-08: 112026-09: 82026-10: 2
11 2025-11 → 2026-10
Where the businesses areby province
  • Gauteng4 393
  • Western Cape2 301
  • KwaZulu-Natal682
  • Eastern Cape222
  • Mpumalanga100
  • Limpopo100
  • Free State96
  • North West91
  • Northern Cape33
Industries in the news this weekHow we count →
Energy 21 ↑ 6.8×Security 20 ↑ 4.3×Cybersecurity 13 ↑ 4.2×Cars 12 ↑ 3.9×Shocks 7 ↑ 4.5×Transport 6 ↑ 3.9×Distribution 6 ↑ 3.9×Fashion 6 ↑ 3.9×Banking 9 ↑ 2.9×Education 9 ↑ 2.9×

Sources

Policy rates: South African Reserve Bank. Inflation, unemployment, GDP: Stats SA. Fuel: Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources. Daily exchange rates: European Central Bank reference rates via Frankfurter; live rand figures: ExchangeRate-API. Yearly series: World Bank Open Data. Business activity: Business.co.za’s own directory and news index.