Retail sales in South Africa increased by 3.3% year-on-year in August 2026, following a 3.4% rise in July. This outpaced market expectations of 3%, keeping growth in retail activity close to its strongest levels since early 2026.
The expansion was driven by solid performances across several key segments. Sales of textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods climbed 6.5%. “Other” retailers posted the fastest growth among the main contributors, with sales up 8.1%, while general dealers recorded a more moderate 2.0% increase. Specialised food, beverage and tobacco stores also performed well, with sales advancing 5.8%.
On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, however, retail sales fell by 0.3%, following a downwardly revised 2.4% increase in the previous month. Over the three months to August 2026, retail trade sales were 2.6% higher than in the corresponding period to August 2025.