Building plans approved in South Africa rose by 4.1% from a year ago to around 9,335 million in July 2026, following an upwardly revised 34.3% jump in the prior month. Permits increased further for residential buildings (12.2% vs 8% in June), but declined for both non-residential buildings (-5.5% vs 154.2%) and additions & alterations (-0.6% vs 10.8%).