September news flows contained little for consumers to cheer about. The decreases in the Business Confidence Index (BCI) and the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) in August were particularly sharp. The BCI fell by -4.2 points to 90.5 points, while PMI fell to 43.4 points. CPI inflation reduced by -20bps, however, PPI inflation rose 20bps. Harsh fuel price hikes have been confirmed for October – petrol will increase by 100c/litre while diesel prices will rise by 124c/litre. The Rand managed to clawback some value versus the US Dollar in September, closing the month at R14.15/USD.
