SA's retail sales rise 3.1% year on year in December

South African retail sales rose 3.1% year on year in December after rising by a revised 7.6% in November, according to the latest figures from Statistics South Africa.

Source: Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko

The largest positive contributors to this increase were:

retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (7,8% and contributing 1,8 percentage points); and
general dealers (2,0% and contributing 0,9 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales decreased by 0,1% in December 2024 compared with November 2024.

This followed month-on-month changes of 1,0% in November 2024 and 1,7% in October 2024.

In 2024, retail trade sales increased by 2,5% compared with 2023. Five of the seven types of retailers showed positive year-on-year growth rates over this period.

The largest positive contributor was general dealers (4,6% and contributing 2,0 percentage points).

Retail trade sales increased by 5,4% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared with the fourth quarter of 2023.

The largest contributors to this increase were:

general dealers (7,8% and contributing 3,3 percentage points); and
retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (7,7% and contributing 1,5 percentage points).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 2,1% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared with the third quarter of 2024.

The largest contributors were:

general dealers (2,9% and contributing 1,3 percentage points); and
retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (4,5% and contributing 0,8 of a percentage point).