South Africa’s annual client value inflation rose to 4.5% in September 2026 from 4.4% in August, pushed largely by greater transport costs, in accordance to Statistics South Africa.
The client value index (CPI) elevated by 0.4% month-on-month in September, whereas transport recorded the very best contribution to the annual inflation fee.
The figures have been launched by Risenga Maluleke, Statistician-General of Statistics South Africa, as greater world power costs proceed to pose dangers for the nation, which imports most of its gas.
Transport drives South Africa’s inflation
Transport costs rose by 10.8% yearly in September, contributing 1.5 share factors to the general inflation fee of 4.5%.
- Housing and utilities recorded annual inflation of 5.2%, contributing 1.3 share factors.
- Insurance and monetary providers rose by 5.4%, contributing 0.6 share factors.
- Annual items inflation elevated to 4.1% in September from 3.3% in August.
- Services inflation eased to 4.9% from 5.1% over the identical interval.
The figures present that transport, housing and utilities, and insurance coverage and monetary providers have been the principle contributors to South Africa’s annual inflation fee.
Global power costs add stress
South Africa’s dependence on imported gas leaves its financial system uncovered to modifications in world power costs. The outbreak of the Iran warfare in late February has added to uncertainty in worldwide power markets, with potential implications for transport costs and home inflation.
The enhance in annual items inflation from 3.3% to 4.1% additionally contrasts with the moderation in providers inflation, which declined from 5.1% to 4.9%.
Although annual inflation rose solely barely between August and September, the 0.4% month-to-month enhance in client costs signifies that value pressures continued throughout the month.
Nigeria’s inflation continues to ease
In Nigeria, headline inflation moved in the other way, easing to 14.63% in September 2026 from 15.39% in August, in accordance to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Nairametrics reported that the decline marked the fourth consecutive month of disinflation.
- Annual core inflation, which excludes risky agricultural produce and power costs, fell to 12.95% in September from 22.11% a 12 months earlier. However, month-to-month core inflation rose to 1.11% from -0.06% in August.
- The comparability highlights differing inflation developments in the 2 African economies: South Africa’s annual fee edged greater in September, whereas Nigeria recorded one other month-to-month decline in its headline inflation fee.
- The share of Nigerian households that perceived inflation as excessive rose to 77.2% in September 2026, up from 67.2% in August.
- Nairametrics beforehand reported that South Africa’s unemployment fee climbed to its highest level in four years, with the variety of unemployed folks rising to 8.5 million.
The newest figures characterize an additional deterioration from the primary quarter of 2026, when South Africa’s unemployment fee had already risen to 32.7% from 31.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, a development that Nairametrics beforehand reported.
