South Africa Retail Sales Growth Eases In August

(RTTNews) - South Africa's retail sales growth moderated in August after accelerating in the previous month, data from Statistics South Africa showed on Wednesday.

On an unadjusted basis, retail sales rose 2.3 percent year-on-year in August, slower than the 5.7 percent increase in the prior month.

The annual sales growth in textiles, clothing, footwear, and leather goods eased to 1.6 percent from 9.9 percent. Sales of hardware, paint, and glass surged 8.8 percent, while sales of food, beverages, and tobacco in specialized stores declined by 3.7 percent.

On a monthly basis, retail sales decreased 1.2 percent, reversing a 2.3 percent recovery in July.