South Africa Retail Sales Growth Accelerates To 5.1%

(RTTNews) - South Africa's retail sales growth quickened in April after easing in the previous two months, data from Statistics South Africa showed on Wednesday.

On an unadjusted basis, retail sales rose 5.1 percent year-on-year in April, much faster than the 1.2 percent increase in the prior month.

Sales of textiles, clothing, footwear, and leather goods grew the most, by 12.5 percent annually in April followed by household furniture, appliances, and equipment, with a 9.2 percent rise. Meanwhile, sales of hardware, paint, and glass were 8.1 percent lower.

On a monthly basis, retail sales recovered 0.9 percent in April versus a 0.3 percent decrease in the prior month.