FX.co ★ South Africa’s December Retail Sales Growth Cools to 2.6% Year-on-Year

South Africa’s retail sector lost some momentum at the end of 2025, with year-on-year sales growth easing to 2.6% in December from 3.6% in November. The data, updated on 18 February 2026, measure the change in retail activity compared with the same month a year earlier.

The December reading means that while consumer spending continued to expand, it did so at a slower pace than in the previous month. The November 2025 figure reflected a 3.6% increase in sales versus November 2024, whereas December’s 2.6% rise compares December 2025 with December 2024.

The moderation in annual growth suggests that, despite ongoing resilience in consumer demand, the retail sector entered the new year with a slightly weaker growth profile than it had heading into the final quarter of 2025.