Johannesburg - Manufacturing production unexpectedly contracted by 2% year-on-year (y/y) in April after a revised 4% increase in March, Statistics South Africa said on Thursday.
On a month-on-month basis, factory output was also down 2%, but edged up 0.1% in the three months to April, compared with the previous three months.
Meanwhile, Stats SA said mining output lifted 7.7% in April as it released its monthly mining production data. Below is the breakdown of the main minerals, with y/y output percentage changes:
April/March
Gold: -9.1/3.2 (revised);
Total Mining: 7.7/19.5 (revised); and
Platinum group metals: 81.6/132.2 (revised).