Manufacturing production up 5.8% for the year

The 5.8% y/y increase in manufacturing production was mainly due to higher production in the petroleum‚ chemical products‚ rubber and plastic products sector‚ with a 6.9% rise and a 1.7% point contribution; basic iron and steel‚ non-ferrous metal products‚ metal products and machinery‚ with a 9.0% increase and a 1.7% point contribution; and the food and beverages division‚ with a 7.4% increase and a 1.3% point contribution.

Seasonally adjusted manufacturing production increased by 0.1% for the three months ended July compared with the previous three months.

Five of the 10 manufacturing divisions reported positive growth rates over this period.

The largest contributions to the increase of 0.1% were made by the following divisions:
• Motor vehicles‚ parts and accessories and other transport equipment (3.7% and contributing 0.4% points);
• Food and beverages division (2.2% and contributing 0.4% points);
• Petroleum‚ chemical products‚ rubber and plastic products (1.3% and contributing 0.3% points);
• Electrical machinery (9.7% and contributing 0.3% points).

These increases were to a large extent counteracted by lower production levels for the basic iron and steel‚ non-ferrous metal products‚ metal products and machinery division (-6.4% and contributing -1.3% points).

StatsSA noted that it has published the results for the monthly survey of manufacturing production and sales from a new sample drawn in April 2012‚ which replaced the previous sample that was drawn in April 2011.

The sample was drawn from a business register of enterprises with an annual turnover of at least R1 241 812 and that are required to register with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for value added tax.