South Africa inflation jumps more than expected in June

Polity Audio Articles · Jul 22, 2026 · 1m

South Africa inflation jumps more than expected in June South African inflation picked up more sharply than expected in June, bolstering expectations that the central bank will deliver a second consecutive interest rate hike on Thursday. Annual headline consumer inflation accelerated to a two-year high of 5.0% in June from 4.5% in May, data from Statistics South Africa showed on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a reading of 4.7%. The transport category was the largest contributor to both the annual and monthly rises in the Consumer Price Index, as the Iran war sent fuel…