FX.co ★ South Africa Retail Sales Growth Beats Forecasts

Retail sales in South Africa jumped 3.4% year-on-year in July 2026, accelerating from a downwardly revised 1.1% increase in June and far exceeding market expectations of a 0.9% gain. This was the strongest expansion in retail activity since January. On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales rose 2.5% month-on-month, rebounding from an upwardly revised 0.8% decline in June. Over the three months to July 2026, retail trade sales were up 2.2% compared with the same period ending July 2025.