 The seasonally-adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) declined to 45.7 index points in August 2019, down from 52.1 in July 2019.
While the magnitude of the decline may have been larger than anticipated, a fall in the PMI in August was not unexpected. This followed on July's surprisingly solid reading despite the weak domestic demand environment and growing concerns about the health of the global economy.
All of the PMI's major sub-components came in below the neutral 50-point mark, signalling general weakness in the sector.
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 The seasonally-adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) measured 52.1 index points in July 2019, up from 46.2 index points in June 2019. This is the first reading above the neutral 50-point mark since December 2018.
"The improvement is well-supported by the underlying sub-components, with four of the major five sub-components coming in above the neutral 50-point mark, signalling an expansion in activity", said the Bureau for Economic Research (BER).
"However, given growing concerns about the health of the global manufacturing sector, it remains to be seen whether this improvement can be sustained going forward", noted BER.
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 The seasonally-adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 46.2 index points in June 2019, up from 45.4 in May 2019. "The average level for Quarter 2 of 2019 was 46.3 points, below the level recorded in Quarter 1 of 2019", said the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) in a statement.
In contrast, available official statistics suggest that quarterly manufacturing output is set to rebound strongly in Quarter 2 after a dismal first quarter. "However, part of this rebound is driven by a normalisation in output after load shedding disrupted production earlier in the year", explained BER.
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 The seasonally-adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) erased most of last month's gains as it fell to 45.4 index points in May 2019, down from 47.2 index points in April 2019. Barring a drop to 45 index points in March 2019, this is the weakest level since October 2018. The decline brought the average PMI for the first two months of Quarter 2 of 2019 to 46.3 points, below the Quarter 1 of 2019 average of 47.1 points.
"This, unfortunately, does not bode well for a recovery in activity in the manufacturing sector after output declined notably on a quarter-on-quarter basis in Quarter 1", said the Bureau for Economic Research (BER).
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The seasonally-adjusted Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose by 2.2 points to reach 47.2 index points in April. This was the first increase after three months of decline.
Remaining below the neutral 50-point mark, the PMI is more or less in line with the average recorded in Quarter 1 of 2019. "This means that factory conditions stabilised at a fairly depressed level at the start of Quarter 2", said the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) in a statement.
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 The seasonally-adjusted Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) continued downwards to 45 points exactly in March 2019, from 46.2 in February. This was the third consecutive month of decline.
As was the case in February, two of the PMI's major sub-components came in above the 50-point mark, while three were stuck in negative terrain. "However, all but one of the main sub-indices declined compared with February", noted the Bureau for Economic Research (BER).
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 The seasonally-adjusted Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) declined to 46.2 index points in February 2019, down from 49.9 in January. "Despite the decline, the average recorded during the first two months of Quarter 1 of 2019 is slightly above the average seen in Quarter 4 of 2018", noted the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) in its February report.
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 The seasonally-adjusted Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) edged lower to 49.9 index points in January 2019, down from 50.7 in December 2018.
Despite the decline, the index remains 2 points above the average recorded in 2018, which suggests that manufacturing started the year on fairly solid footing.
The performance of the PMI's sub-components was more mixed, with many of the sub-indices declining compared with their December levels.
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 The seasonally-adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) ended 2018 on a positive note, reaching its best level of the year. The PMI rose from 49.5 in November to 50.7 in December, which is just above the neutral 50-point mark and signals growth in the sector.
The headline PMI was well supported by three of the five sub-components: activity, demand and supplier performance. However, employment moved lower, while the Inventories Index edged back below the neutral 50-point mark, noted the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) in its January report.
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 The seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 49.5 index points in November from 42.4 in October.
This was the PMI's first increase after three straight months of declines and brought the index to the best level since July 2018.
The improvement was broad-based with four out of the five main subcomponents rising compared with October.
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 The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) remained virtually unchanged at a weak level of 43.2 points in September 2018. "The latest figure dashes any hope that the sharp PMI decline in August was a once-off occurrence", said the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) in its monthly PMI report.
The average level of the PMI in Q3 of 2018 was 46 index points, which is the lowest average since Q3 of 2017 and 3.5 points below the average recorded in Q2 of 2018.
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The seasonally-adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) declined to 43.4 points in August from 51.5 points recorded in July. August's level is the lowest recorded in more than a year.
Overall, the average level of the PMI recorded during the first two months of Q3 of 2018 was 47.5, which is below the neutral 50-point mark and two points below the average recorded in Q2 of 2018.
The deterioration was driven by sharp declines in the New Sales Orders Index as well as the Business Activity Index. However, inventories and supplier deliveries came in above the neutral 50-point mark in August, which provided some support to the headline PMI, noted the Bureau for Economic Research (BER).
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The seasonally-adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 51.5 index points in July, up from 47.9 in June. The current level is comfortably above the neutral 50-point mark and is supported by four out of five key sub-components being in positive terrain.
"This suggests that the manufacturing sector got off to a good start in the first month of Q3 of 2018", said the Bureau for Economic Research, who conducts the survey.
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 The seasonally-adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell further below the neutral 50-point mark in June. The index lost 1.9 points to reach 47.9, down from May's 49.8 points. The dip means that the average level recorded during Q2 of 2018 is only 0.3 points above Q1 of 2018's average and still below the key 50-point level. This suggests that the sector is unlikely to stage a solid recovery after output contracted on a quarter-on-quarter basis in Q1 of 2018.
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 The seasonally-adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dipped back to just below the neutral 50-point mark in May. The index declined to 49.8 index points, down from 50.9 in April. Despite the fall, the average level of 50.4 points recorded during the first two months of Q2, 2018, is not only above the neutral 50-point mark, but also higher than the 49.2 index points registered in Q1, 2018. This bodes well for a recovery in the manufacturing sector, after manufacturing output contracted on a quarter-on-quarter basis in Q1, 2018.
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The seasonally-adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) erased the losses sustained in March and edged back above the neutral 50-point mark in April. The index rose by 4 points to reach 50.9 index points in April. This is relatively in line with the level recorded in February and above the average recorded during the first three months of the year.
The improvement in the headline PMI was driven by increases in four of the five key sub-components, with only the Supplier Deliveries Index dipping lower compared to March. However, with the exception of the New Sales Orders Index, which is firmly in positive terrain, the other four sub-components remained below the neutral 50-point mark, said the Bureau for Economic Research.
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