South Africa’s annual client worth inflation rose to 4.5% in September 2026 from 4.4% in August, pushed largely by increased transport costs, in accordance to Statistics South Africa.
The client worth index (CPI) elevated by 0.4% month-on-month in September, whereas transport recorded the very best contribution to the annual inflation price.
The figures had been launched by Risenga Maluleke, Statistician-General of Statistics South Africa, as increased international vitality costs proceed to pose dangers for the nation, which imports most of its gasoline.
Transport drives South Africa’s inflation
Transport costs rose by 10.8% yearly in September, contributing 1.5 share factors to the general inflation price of 4.5%.
- Housing and utilities recorded annual inflation of 5.2%, contributing 1.3 share factors.
- Insurance and monetary companies rose by 5.4%, contributing 0.6 share factors.
- Annual items inflation elevated to 4.1% in September from 3.3% in August.
- Services inflation eased to 4.9% from 5.1% over the identical interval.
The figures present that transport, housing and utilities, and insurance coverage and monetary companies had been the principle contributors to South Africa’s annual inflation price.
Global vitality costs add stress
South Africa’s dependence on imported gasoline leaves its financial system uncovered to adjustments in international vitality costs. The outbreak of the Iran conflict in late February has added to uncertainty in worldwide vitality markets, with potential implications for transport costs and home inflation.
The enhance in annual items inflation from 3.3% to 4.1% additionally contrasts with the moderation in companies inflation, which declined from 5.1% to 4.9%.
Although annual inflation rose solely barely between August and September, the 0.4% month-to-month enhance in client costs signifies that worth pressures continued in the course of the month.
Nigeria’s inflation continues to ease
In Nigeria, headline inflation moved in the wrong way, easing to 14.63% in September 2026 from 15.39% in August, in accordance to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Nairametrics reported that the decline marked the fourth consecutive month of disinflation.
- Annual core inflation, which excludes risky agricultural produce and vitality costs, fell to 12.95% in September from 22.11% a 12 months earlier. However, month-to-month core inflation rose to 1.11% from -0.06% in August.
- The comparability highlights differing inflation developments in the 2 African economies: South Africa’s annual price edged increased in September, whereas Nigeria recorded one other month-to-month decline in its headline inflation price.
- The share of Nigerian households that perceived inflation as excessive rose to 77.2% in September 2026, up from 67.2% in August.
- Nairametrics beforehand reported that South Africa’s unemployment price climbed to its highest level in four years, with the variety of unemployed folks rising to 8.5 million.
The newest figures symbolize an extra deterioration from the primary quarter of 2026, when South Africa’s unemployment price had already risen to 32.7% from 31.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, a development that Nairametrics beforehand reported.
