South Africa's PPI inflation quickened to 2.3% in March 2026 from a seven-month low of 1.8% in the prior month. The biggest positive contributors were food products, beverages and tobacco products (2.2% vs 2.3% in February) and furniture and other manufacturing (14.1% vs 12.1%). Prices also accelerated for non-metallic mineral products (7.1% vs 6.5%); electrical machinery and communication and metering equipment (3.9% vs 2.5%) and transport equipment (1% vs 0.4%). At the same time, costs of coal and petroleum products decreased at a slower pace (-4.8% vs -8.9%).On a monthly basis, producer prices climbed by 1.1% in March, marking the strongest increase since March 2024, after being flat in the prior month.