Trade expectations improve – Sacci
Amid an improving business mood, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (Sacci’s) latest Trade Conditions Survey for December saw the Trade Expectations Index (TEI) for the next six months retaining a level well into positive territory, at 60 index points.
This is one point higher than in November.
However, trade conditions in December were restrained owing to seasonal factors, Sacci said in a statement on Wednesday.
The seasonally adjusted Trade Activity Index (TAI) rose from 41 in November to 48 in December.
Compared with December 2016, the TAI was three index points lower, while the TEI was two points higher.
“Apart from the tougher prevailing trade conditions since September, reflecting the sluggish economy, the slower pace of household, government and capital spending is also the result of tight financial conditions and high debt levels,” Sacci said.
Respondents to the survey mentioned skills shortages, mentoring, fuel price hikes, access to and cost of funding, uncertainty of jobs, regulatory uncertainty in some sectors and political instability as constraining factors for trade.
“The significantly stronger but unstable rand against currencies of major trading partners, high real interest rates and high unemployment have had a dilatory effect on trade. It is expected that, given the present uncertainty of political and economic direction, nominal interest rates will remain unchanged despite lower inflation.”
Sacci pointed out that the upcoming national budget in February would also set the scene for trade conditions going forward, coupled with rising expectations which, in turn, moderates the business mood.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
