South Africa · Governance
What drove South Africa’s September 2026 producer price increase?
Prices for final manufactured goods rose 6.2% from a year earlier in September 2026. Coke, petroleum, chemicals, rubber and plastics contributed 4.1 percentage points. A separate index excluding petroleum products rose 2.9%.
Sources checked
Monthly change
Shared scale · -1.2% to 19.1%
Annual change
Shared scale · -1.2% to 19.1%
Switch between the month-on-month and year-on-year rates. Both use a common percentage scale.
Petroleum-linked products drove most of the headline change
Coke, petroleum, chemicals, rubber and plastics rose 19.1% over the year and 4.2% in the month. Its annual contribution of 4.1 percentage points accounted for about two-thirds of the 6.2% headline increase. The diesel subgroup rose 51.8% from September 2025. Source 1
Food and transport equipment showed smaller or negative changes
Food, beverages and tobacco rose 1.2% over the year. Its food products subgroup fell 0.3% while beverages rose 2.8%. Transport equipment fell 1.2%, with motor vehicles down 1.9% and parts down 1.0%. Source 1
The petroleum exclusion moved differently from the headline
The alternative final-goods index excluding petroleum products rose 2.9% annually and fell 0.2% from August. The headline rose 6.2% annually and 1.0% monthly. The exclusion changes the basket, so the difference between annual rates is not a direct contribution calculation. Source 1
Producer price change is distinct from retail inflation
Statistics South Africa measures prices received by producers for selected goods. A positive group rate need not match retail price changes, wages or production volumes. Contribution to the headline depends on a group’s price movement and weight. Source 1