2019.09.1807:17:00UTC+00South Africa Inflation Climbs, Retail Sales Growth Slows

South Africa's consumer price inflation rose in August after slowing in the previous month, and retail sales grew at a slower pace in July, data from Statistics South Africa showed on Wednesday.

The consumer price index rose 4.3 percent year-on-year in August, after a 4.0 percent increase in July. That was in line with economists' expectation. In June, inflation was 4.5 percent.

The main contributors to inflation were food and non-alcoholic beverages, housing and utilities, and miscellaneous goods and services.

Excluding food, non-alcoholic beverages, fuel and energy, inflation was 4.3 percent in August.

On a month-on-month basis, consumer prices rose 0.3 percent in August.

Separate data from the statistical office showed that the retail sales climbed 2.0 percent year-on-year in July, after a 2.4 percent rise in June. Economists had expected a 2.6 percent rise. In May, sales was 1.5 percent.

On a monthly basis, retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent in July, slower than 0.7 percent in the previous month.

For the three-month period ended in July, retail sales rose 0.8 percent, after a 0.9 percent increase in the previous three-month period ended in June.