# South Africa's 49.0 PMI: a shrinking economy, a fuel shock, and rates still going up

> South Africa’s October PMI remained at 49.0 for a second consecutive month, indicating continued contraction. Output fell at its fastest pace since December 2025 amid weaker demand, higher fuel costs and transport disruptions; new orders and export demand weakened, and employment fell for a third straight month. The central bank raised rates to 7.25%.

- Date: 2026-11-05 · published 2026-11-06T00:10:56.924Z
- Category: macro · region South Africa · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/82752-south-africa-s-49-0-pmi-a-shrinking-economy-a-fuel-shock-and-rates-still-going
- Commodities: [South African Rand (ZAR per USD)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/USDZAR.md)

## Why it matters

Higher fuel and transport costs can raise the cost of moving feed and agricultural inputs, while weaker demand and tighter monetary policy may weigh on domestic consumption. The article does not identify a specific commodity-price impact.

## Sources

- ainvest.com: https://www.ainvest.com/news/south-africa-49-0-pmi-shrinking-economy-fuel-shock-rates-2611/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.