South Africa Retail Sales YoY
Year-on-year change in the volume of retail trade.
Retail Sales YoY in South Africa increased to 2.77 percent in Jul 2026 from 1.34 percent in Jun 2026.
South Africa Retail Sales YoY — History
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South Africa Retail Sales YoY — analysis in simple words
Latest reading
Retail Sales YoY in South Africa increased to 2.77 percent in Jul 2026 from 1.34 percent in Jun 2026.
Over the last three months it rose twice and fell once.
Recent trend
A year earlier (Jul 2025) it was 5.4%, so the latest figure is 2.6 percentage points lower.
Over the past five years the average was 1.7%, with a range from -2.9% to 8.9%. The latest value is above that five-year average.
Historical context
This data series starts in Jan 1978 and has 583 monthly observations. The latest reading is higher than 57% of all of them.
The highest value on record is 86.6% (Apr 2021) and the lowest is -46.9% (Apr 2020). The long-run average is 2.2%.
Compared with other countries
Among 38 economies with recent data, South Africa ranks 16th from the top. The median across all these economies is 2.2%, so South Africa is above the typical country.
Among 13 major economies tracked on this site it ranks 2nd.
Statistics
- Latest
- 2.8%Jul 2026
- Previous
- 1.3%
- 5-year average
- 1.7%
- Long-run average
- 2.2%since Jan 1978
- All-time high
- 86.6%Apr 2021
- All-time low
- -46.9%Apr 2020
- Observations
- 583Monthly
Recent Data
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | 2.8% | ▲ +1.4 pp |
| Jun 2026 | 1.3% | ▼ −1.2 pp |
| May 2026 | 2.6% | ▲ +0.5 pp |
| Apr 2026 | 2.1% | ▼ −0.3 pp |
| Mar 2026 | 2.3% | ▲ +0.3 pp |
| Feb 2026 | 2.0% | ▼ −1.5 pp |
| Jan 2026 | 3.5% | ▲ +1.1 pp |
| Dec 2025 | 2.4% | ▼ −0.8 pp |
| Nov 2025 | 3.2% | ▲ +0.4 pp |
| Oct 2025 | 2.8% | ▼ −0.5 pp |
| Sep 2025 | 3.2% | ▲ +0.7 pp |
| Aug 2025 | 2.5% | ▼ −2.9 pp |
| Jul 2025 | 5.4% | ▲ +3.1 pp |
| Jun 2025 | 2.3% | ▼ −1.7 pp |
| May 2025 | 4.0% | ▼ −0.7 pp |
| Apr 2025 | 4.8% | ▲ +1.3 pp |
| Mar 2025 | 3.5% | ▼ −2.0 pp |
| Feb 2025 | 5.4% | ▼ −1.0 pp |
| Jan 2025 | 6.5% | ▲ +3.1 pp |
| Dec 2024 | 3.4% | ▼ −2.9 pp |
| Nov 2024 | 6.3% | ▼ −0.3 pp |
| Oct 2024 | 6.7% | ▲ +4.9 pp |
| Sep 2024 | 1.8% | ▼ −1.3 pp |
| Aug 2024 | 3.1% | ▲ +1.3 pp |
| Jul 2024 | 1.7% | ▼ −2.2 pp |
| Jun 2024 | 4.0% | ▲ +1.6 pp |
| May 2024 | 2.4% | ▲ +1.0 pp |
| Apr 2024 | 1.3% | ▲ +0.5 pp |
| Mar 2024 | 0.8% | ▲ +1.8 pp |
| Feb 2024 | -1.0% |
Retail Sales YoY — South Africa vs Peers
Latest available reading for each economy (periods may differ). South Africa highlighted.
More South Africa indicators
Understanding Retail Sales YoY — a simple guide
What it measures
The year-on-year change in the volume of retail trade — goods sold to households by shops and online stores, adjusted for price changes.
How it is calculated
Retail trade volume index this month ÷ the same month last year − 1, × 100.
If shoppers bought 3% more goods (after removing price changes) than a year ago, retail sales growth is 3%.
Strong retail sales reflect healthy consumer spending.
Weak or negative sales point to cautious households.
Why it matters for the economy and markets
Retail sales are a direct, timely measure of consumer spending, the largest part of most economies.
How to read it
Monthly data can be affected by holidays, weather and festivals. Volume data removes price changes, so it shows how much more (or less) people actually bought.
What to look at alongside it
Consumer confidence, inflation and wages.
Key terms
- Volume
- Quantity sold, after removing price changes.
Data source
OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (series OECD retail trade volume), monthly data from Jan 1978 to Jul 2026. Values are shown exactly as published by the source and may be revised later.
How to use the chart
Use the 5Y / 10Y / 25Y / Max buttons to change the time range, or drag the slider under the chart. Hover (or tap) on the line to see the exact value for any period. Dashed lines and hatched bars are IMF projections, not actual data. The “Download CSV” button gives you the full data series.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current retail sales yoy of South Africa?
What is the highest and lowest retail sales yoy of South Africa?
What does retail sales yoy measure?
Data are sourced from official international organisations (IMF, World Bank, BIS) and national authorities, and are shown for educational and informational purposes only. They are not investment advice and no recommendation is made. Figures may be revised by the source; IMF figures for the current and future years are projections. This page was last updated on Saturday, October 17, 2026.