Building plans approved in South Africa dropped by 4.3% from a year ago to around 8,906 million in August 2026, following a 4.1% rise in the prior month. It follows two consecutive monthly declines. Lower permits for non-residential buildings (-24% vs -5.5% in July) and residential buildings (-7.3% vs 12.1%) more than offset a 24.2% jump for additions & alterations.