JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) — South Africa’s consumer inflation eased slightly to 3.5 percent in November from 3.6 percent in October, data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) showed Wednesday.
Transport, recreation, sport, and culture, as well as information and communication, were the main contributors to the November slowdown, said Patrick Kelly, chief director for price statistics at Stats SA.
“The annual change for transport slipped to 0.7 percent in November from 1.5 percent in October. Vehicle inflation was 0.9 percent, hitting the lowest level since June 2013 when the rate was also 0.9 percent,” said Kelly, adding that the fuel prices dropped by 2.2 percent between October and November, bringing the annual rate for fuel down to 0.1 percent.
According to Stats SA, food inflation rose to 4.4 percent in November from 3.9 percent in October, recording its first increase in four months. Inflation for non-alcoholic beverages, restaurants and accommodation services, as well as alcoholic beverages and tobacco, edged higher in November.
Meat prices increased by an average of 12.2 percent in the 12 months to November, the highest annual rate since January 2018. Declines in milk, eggs, and other dairy products continued to decline for a sixth successive month, Kelly said.
