Johannesburg - The rand firmed slightly against the dollar on Wednesday but remained at the weaker end of a recent trading range that could be tested if factory output figures due in the next session are weaker than expected.
The rand was at R10.7400/$ at 15:11 GMT, a gain of 0.2% on the day. Earlier, the currency of Africa's most developed economy dropped to a month-low of R10.8225/$ before staging an intraday rally.
Yields on government bonds were mixed, with that on the paper due in 2015 dropping 2 basis points to 6.655%, and that on the 2026 paper climbing 3 basis points to 8.315%.
Charts suggest the currency is still in a short-, medium- and long-term weakening trend, although it has held within a rough 10.53-10.82 range since the start of June.
June manufacturing production figures are due at 11:00 GMT on Thursday, with economists expecting a contraction of 2.1%, a reflection of the lingering effect of a five-month strike in the platinum mines.