09.04.202611:00:00UTC+00South Africa’s Manufacturing Slump Deepens in February With 2.8% Annual Decline

South Africa’s manufacturing sector weakened further in February 2026, with year-on-year production contracting by 2.8%, according to data updated on 9 April 2026. This marks a sharper downturn compared to January 2026, when manufacturing output fell 0.7% compared with the same month a year earlier.

The figures, based on a year-over-year comparison, indicate that the manufacturing industry’s performance deteriorated as February’s decline extended the negative trend seen at the start of the year. In this framework, the “actual” change represents February 2026 output versus February 2025, while the “previous” figure reflects January 2026 output versus January 2025.

The deepening contraction underscores mounting pressure on South Africa’s industrial base and may raise concerns about the sector’s contribution to overall economic growth if the negative momentum persists in the coming months.