South Africa's economy expanded by 1.1% in 2025, according to StatsSA. Official GDP figures for the first quarter of 2026 are due to be released next Tuesday, with most analysts predicting modest growth despite ongoing resilience in parts of the economy.
South Africa’s economic growth is expected to have slowed in the first quarter of 2026, with economists forecasting that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth will come in below the levels recorded during the same period last year.
Official GDP figures for the first quarter of 2026 are due to be released next Tuesday, with most analysts predicting modest growth despite ongoing resilience in parts of the economy.
Nedbank on Monday said it expects real GDP growth to have eased from 0.4% quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter of 2025 to around 0.2% in the first three months of 2026.
According to Nedbank, services remained the key driver of economic activity, supported by strong performances in domestic trade and financial services. Agriculture also started the year on a positive note, benefiting from favourable rainfall conditions experienced last year, while mining output improved. However, manufacturing and electricity production continued to face challenges.
