Manufacturing activity in South Africa rose by 1.1% year-on-year in July 2026, reversing the upwardly revised 1.7% drop in June and better than the expected 1.6% decline. The largest positive contributions came from the food and beverages division, which grew by 4.1%, and the petroleum, chemical products, rubber and plastic products division, which increased by 3.2%. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, manufacturing production grew by 2.2%, the most since May 2025, after a downwardly revised 0.8% increase in the month. South Africa manufacturing production increased by 1.0% in the three months ended July 2026 compared with the previous three months.