JOHANNESBURG, June 3 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by a modest 0.1 percent in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, according to data released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Tuesday.
Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria, the country's administrative capital, Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry was the standout performer in Q1, expanding by 15.8 percent and contributing 0.4 percentage points to the overall GDP growth.
The transport, storage and communication, finance, real estate, and business services industries also helped support the economy's positive territory, according to Stats SA.
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen noted that the sector achieved export earnings of 3.36 billion U.S. dollars in Q1, marking a year-on-year increase of 10 percent. The growth was driven by higher export volumes of grapes, maize, apples, and wine, as well as improved international commodity prices.
However, the manufacturing industry contracted by 2 percent, subtracting 0.2 percentage points from the GDP. "Seven out of the 10 manufacturing divisions reported negative growth rates. The largest negative contributions were reported for the petroleum, chemical products, rubber, and plastic products," Maluleke said.
Chief Economist at Efficient Group Dawie Roodt told Xinhua that the decline in the manufacturing sector was expected, as "factories are closing and those still operating are gradually declining."
Sandile Swana, an independent analyst, said global price declines had weighed on certain commodities. "There was pressure on the petroleum division in the manufacturing sector. Our refinery capacity has dropped substantially. I suspect the decrease was volume-related," he said.
