Makrognosis

South Africa Retail Sales

MonthlySeasonally adjustedCode ZA.RETSALES.M.SA

Latest (y/y)3.5%August 2026
Previous (y/y)2.8%July 2026
Level108.6August 2026

South Africa Retail Sales was up 3.5% year on year in August 2026, compared with 2.8% in July 2026.

The level stood at 108.6 (Index 2019=100, constant prices, SA).

Among the 43 economies Makrognosis covers on this measure, it is the 20th lowest.

Over the past ten years it has ranged from −46.8% (Apr 2020) to 86.6% (Apr 2021), averaging 1.8%.

South Africa Retail Sales, annual % change, Jan 1997 – Aug 2026−50%0%50%100%200020052010201520202025Robomacro
South Africa Retail Sales, annual % change, Jan 1997 – Aug 2026. Source: South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Web API.
South Africa Retail Sales, level (Index 2019=100, constant prices, SA)406080100200020052010201520202025Robomacro
South Africa Retail Sales, level (Index 2019=100, constant prices, SA).

Showing the full history (downsampled for display). Open the interactive chart to zoom and switch transforms.

Recent data

PeriodValueY/Y %
August 2026108.63.5
July 2026108.92.8
June 2026106.31.3
May 2026107.22.6
April 2026107.12.1
March 2026106.12.3
February 2026106.02.0
January 2026107.03.5
December 2025106.22.4
November 2025106.93.3
October 2025106.12.8
September 2025105.13.2
August 2025104.92.5
July 2025106.05.4
June 2025104.92.3
May 2025104.54.0
April 2025104.94.8
March 2025103.73.5
February 2025103.95.4
January 2025103.46.5
December 2024103.73.4
November 2024103.56.4
October 2024103.26.7
September 2024101.81.8

Last 24 observations. The full history (368 observations) is available through the API.

Get South Africa Retail Sales in your code or spreadsheet

One guessable code, agency-direct, updated on release. Free tier available.

curl -H "X-API-Key: $MAKROGNOSIS_KEY" \
  "https://makrognosis.robomacro.com/v1/series/ZA.RETSALES.M.SA"

# Python
import requests
r = requests.get("https://makrognosis.robomacro.com/v1/series/ZA.RETSALES.M.SA",
                 headers={"X-API-Key": KEY})
obs = r.json()["observations"]
Get a free API key → · API docs

About this series

Latest observationAugust 2026
First observationJanuary 1996
Observations368
FrequencyMonthly
UnitsIndex 2019=100, constant prices, SA
AdjustmentSeasonally adjusted
10-year high86.6% (Apr 2021)
10-year low−46.8% (Apr 2020)
10-year average1.8%
Source agencySouth African Reserve Bank (SARB) Web API
Makrognosis codeZA.RETSALES.M.SA

Retail Sales: how South Africa compares

#EconomyPeriodLatest
1TurkeyAug 202611.9%
2MalaysiaAug 202610.5%
3SerbiaSep 20268.6%
4TaiwanSep 20268.5%
5AlbaniaJun 20268.0%
19HungarySep 20264.4%
20FinlandSep 20264.3%
21MaltaSep 20264.0%
22North MacedoniaAug 20263.7%
23EstoniaSep 20263.5%
24South AfricaAug 20263.5%
25MexicoAug 20263.2%
26CroatiaSep 20262.9%
27IrelandSep 20262.3%
28LuxembourgSep 20262.0%
29PolandSep 20262.0%
30FranceSep 20261.9%

Retail Sales by country: all 43 economies ranked →

Other South Africa indicators

South Africa GDP (Gross Domestic Product)South Africa Nominal GDP at market prices (ZAR million, SAAR, SARB QB)South Africa Inflation Rate (CPI)South Africa Unemployment RateSouth Africa 10-Year Government Bond YieldSouth Africa Credit Rating & Sovereign Risk ScoreSouth Africa Industrial ProductionSouth Africa Producer Price Inflation (PPI)South Africa Current Account Balance - Balance of Payments (NSA)South Africa Trade Balance: Goods & ServicesSouth Africa Exports of goods and services, constant 2015 prices, SA annualised (SARB Web API NRI6013D; Quarterly Bulletin KBP6013D)South Africa Total Exports of Goods Including Gold - SARS Customs (NSA)South Africa Imports of goods and services, constant 2015 prices, SA annualised (SARB Web API NRI6014D; Quarterly Bulletin KBP6014D)South Africa Total Imports of Goods - SARS Customs (NSA)South Africa Government Debt to GDPSouth Africa Employment

FAQ

What is the current retail Sales in South Africa?
The latest reading is 3.5% year on year for August 2026, published by South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Web API.
Where does this data come from?
It is collected directly from South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Web API and is available through the Makrognosis API under the code ZA.RETSALES.M.SA.

Last updated 2026-10-21. Source: South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Web API. Original title: “Real Retail Trade Sales - Seasonally Adjusted”.