South Africa: Retail sales accelerate to 3.4% in July

On a month-on-month basis, seasonally adjusted sales rose by 2.5% in July, following a decline of 0.8% in June after a 0.1% increase in May.

General retailers made the largest contribution to the annual increase, with sales up by 3.2%, contributing 1.3 percentage points. Other retailers saw a 6.8% increase, contributing 0.8 percentage points.

Sales of textiles, clothing, footwear, and leather goods increased by 2.9%. Specialty stores focusing on food, beverages, and tobacco recorded a 4.8% rise.

For the three months ending in July, retail sales grew by 2.2% compared to the same period in 2025. Seasonally adjusted, they increased by 1.0% compared to the previous three months.

The July report indicates an acceleration following the revised annual growth of 1.1% in June, while Statistics South Africa estimates the monthly increase for July at 2.5%.