A gauge measuring South African manufacturer sentiment rose in April to its best level in two years, driven by business activity and new sales orders, potentially reflecting front-loading ahead of price increases due to the Iran war.
Absa Group Ltd.’s Purchasing Managers’ Index, compiled by the Bureau for Economic Research, advanced to 52.6 from 49 in March, the Johannesburg-based lender said in an emailed statement on Monday.
It was the first reading above 50 — the threshold separating an expansion from contraction — since September 2025.
The business activity index rose for a second consecutive month to 52.8, from 46.1, while orders for new sales increased to 52.9, from 44.5.
The reading suggests that production picked up meaningfully, the lender said.
“The increase appears to have been driven primarily by stronger domestic demand, while export sales declined,” Absa said, suggesting that the recovery was not broad-based and remains vulnerable to
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