South African Reserve Bank

PRESS STATEMENT
EMBARGO DELIVERY
17 March 2016


Statement of the Monetary Policy Committee

Issued by Lesetja Kganyago, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank
Since the previous meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee, headline inflation has
exceeded the upper end of the target range as pressures from higher food prices in
particular have intensified. Although the longer-term inflation outlook has improved
somewhat, inflation is still expected to remain outside the target range for an
extended period, and upside risks remain. The domestic economic growth prospects
remain fragile following a fairly broad-based weakening in the final quarter of last
year, while global economic prospects remain uncertain.
The year-on-year inflation rate as measured by the consumer price index (CPI) for
all urban areas increased markedly in January to 6,2 per cent, up from 5,2 per cent
in December. Food price pressures intensified, with food and non-alcoholic
beverages inflation accelerating to 6,9 per cent, up from 5,9 per cent previously.
Goods price inflation increased from 4,6 per cent to 6,5 per cent, mainly due to
higher food prices and base effects of petrol prices, while services price inflation
increased from 5,7 per cent to 6,0 per cent. The Bank’s measure of core inflation,
which excludes food, fuel and electricity, which had been relatively stable for some

time, increased from 5,2 per cent in December to 5,6 per cent in January. Part of this
may reflect some evidence of higher exchange rate pass-through.
Producer price inflation for final manufactured goods was also indicative of increased
cost pressures, having increased from 4,8 per cent in December 2015 to 7,6 per cent
in January. The main contributor to this acceleration was the category of food,
beverages and tobacco products which contributed 2,8 percentage points to the
January outcome.
The latest inflation forecast of the Bank has improved somewhat but nevertheless
the protracted, albeit lower, breach remains a serious concern. Inflation is now
expected to average 6,6 per cent and 6,4 per cent in 2016 and 2017, compared with
6,8 per cent and 7,0 per cent previously. The forecast period has been extended to
the end of 2018, and the forecast average for that year is 5,5 per cent. Inflation is
expected to peak at 7,3 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2016, down from 7,8 per
cent previously, and to return to within the target range, to 5,5 per cent, during the
fourth quarter of 2017. Inflation is then expected to remain within the target range for
the rest of the forecast period. These changes are due in part to the higher interest
rate assumption following the increase in the repo rate at the previous meeting, a
slightly less depreciated exchange rate assumption, and downward revisions to the
international oil price and electricity tariff assumptions. The latter follows the Nersa
decision to grant a lower-than-expected tariff adjustment of 9,4 per cent to Eskom.
These pressures are counteracted to some extent by a higher food price forecast.
The forecast for core inflation reflects a marginal near-term deterioration, reflecting
expected exchange rate and wage cost pressures, but is slightly improved for 2017.
Core inflation is expected to breach the upper end of the target range in the second

quarter of 2016 for four consecutive quarters, with a peak at 6,5 per cent in the third
and fourth quarters of 2016. This measure is expected to average 6,2 per cent in
2016, and 5,7 per cent and 5,2 per cent in the subsequent two years.
The survey of inflation expectations conducted by the Bureau for Economic
Research in the first quarter of 2016 presents a mixed picture. Although average
expectations remain unchanged at 6,2 per cent for 2016 and 2017, those of analysts
increased significantly, while expectations of business people and trade unions
moderated for both years. Inflation is expected to average 6,0 per cent in 2018, with
both analysts and trade unionists expecting inflation to be within the target range.
The 5-year average inflation expectations remained unchanged at 6,1 per cent, and
have been stable within a range of between 5,8 per cent and 6,2 per cent since the
first quarter of 2012.
The near-term expectations of economic analysts as reflected in the Reuters
Econometer survey also increased following the depreciation of the rand in
December. In the survey conducted in March, the median expectation for 2016 and
2017 was 6,4 per cent and 6,3 per cent, but inflation is expected to return to within
the target range in 2018, at a 5,6 per cent average. Bond market expectations
implicit in the break-even inflation rates are more or less unchanged since the
previous meeting and remain at fairly elevated levels.
The international economic outlook remains challenging following a marked decline
in global growth in the fourth quarter of 2015, as well as a continued moderation in
industrial production in the advanced economies. This included a slowdown in the
US, amid contractions in business fixed investment and exports, and a weakening in
consumer spending. Some improvement is expected in the first quarter, although

growth is expected to remain below potential in the coming months. Subdued
growth is expected in the Japanese economy following a contraction in the fourth
quarter, with only a slightly more favourable outlook for the euro area and the UK.
The outlook for many emerging market economies remains weak, with continuing
recessions in Brazil and Russia. The slowdown in China appears to be broad-based,
with a declining PMI, moderating consumer demand, and lower imports and exports.
The uncertain prospects for China remain a source of intense speculation and
uncertainty for the rest of the global economy.
There are few signs of global inflation pressures, with inflation below target in most
advanced economies, particularly in Japan and the euro area. These trends,
combined with slowing growth, have prompted looser monetary policies in a number
of advanced economies, and accommodative policies are likely to persist. Contrary
to this trend, the US Fed is expected to continue on its normalisation path, but at a
gradual pace. By contrast, exchange-rate-induced inflation pressures persist in a
number of emerging economies, particularly in Latin America, where more sustained
tightening can be expected.
The rand exchange rate has recovered somewhat from the lows experienced in
December and January, but nevertheless remains highly volatile, and vulnerable to
domestic and external developments. Since the previous meeting of the MPC, the
rand traded in a wide range of between around R16,40 and R15,07 against the US
dollar, and has appreciated by 4,5 per cent against the US dollar, by 0,9 per cent
against the euro, and by 2,0 per cent on a trade-weighted basis.
A number of factors contributed to the appreciation of the rand during this period.
These included the reaction to further monetary policy easing in the advanced

economies, and the moderation of the US normalisation path; policy stimulus
measures in China which overshadowed disappointing Chinese economic data; and
the reaction to domestic monetary tightening. Offsetting factors include the weak
domestic growth outcome and higher inflation outlook; the increased risk of a
sovereign ratings downgrade; and domestic political developments which have had a
significant impact on the rand in the past few days in particular.
The exchange rate was also negatively impacted by the wider-than-expected current
account deficit, and its slow pace of adjustment to a depreciated exchange rate. The
adjustment is expected to remain slow, particularly in the context of declining global
trade. While the current account was adequately financed in the fourth quarter, the
lack of portfolio capital flows remains a concern, despite expectations of some
improvement of flows to emerging markets in 2016. According to JSE data, since the
beginning of the year, non-residents have been net purchasers of bonds to the value
of around R6 billion, but net sellers of South African equities to the value of around
R20 billion.
The domestic economic growth outlook has deteriorated further. Annual economic
growth of 1,3 per cent in 2015 was in line with the Bank’s expectations, but the
forecasts for 2016 and 2017 have been revised down from 0,9 per cent and 1,6 per
cent, to 0,8 per cent and 1,4 per cent. Growth of 1,8 per cent is forecast for 2018.
The potential output growth estimate remains unchanged at 1,5 per cent, rising to
1,8 per cent by 2018. The weak growth trend remains consistent with the Bank’s
leading business cycle indicator which declined further in December. Although the
RMB/BER business confidence index was unchanged in the first quarter, it remained
at its 5-year low, and masked a collapse in the manufacturing confidence index.

The GDP slowdown was fairly broad-based, with contractions in the agriculture,
manufacturing and transport and communications sectors. The outlook for the first
quarter for mining and manufacturing is constrained, following sharply negative
growth rates in both sectors in January, particularly in mining. Although the Barclays
PMI increased marginally in February, it remained below the neutral 50-level for the
seventh consecutive month, and capacity utilisation in the sector also remains
relatively low. The continuing drought also points to an unfavourable outlook for the
agricultural sector.
While growth in expenditure on gross fixed capital formation improved in the final
quarter of 2015, it remains low at an annual growth rate of 1,4 per cent. Although
capital expenditure by the private sector turned positive in the fourth quarter, it was
concentrated in the renewable energy sector, while in most other sectors, real capital
investment contracted. These growth and investment trends create an unfavourable
climate for making inroads into the unemployment rate which increased marginally to
24,5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2015 from 24,3 per cent a year earlier.
Growth in consumption expenditure by households increased in the final quarter of
2015, but at 1,6 per cent was still at relatively low levels. While retail sales growth on
a year-on-year basis was fairly resilient, the consecutive month-to-month
contractions in real retail trade sales growth in December and January could signal
further pressures on consumption expenditure, consistent with the low levels of
consumer confidence. Total new vehicle sales continue to decline, although more
positively, there was strong vehicle export growth in February.
A number of factors are expected to constrain consumption expenditure despite the
persistence of wage and salary increases in excess of inflation. These factors

include rising inflation and higher interest rates; high levels of household debt; and
negative wealth effects from low or negative asset price growth. Furthermore, credit
extension to households by the banking sector remains subdued, in contrast to the
more vibrant growth in credit extension to the corporate sector, particularly with
respect to mortgage advances on commercial properties and renewable energy
investments.
The recent budget tabled in parliament provides for a fiscal consolidation path which
sees the consolidated government budget deficit declining from an estimated 3,2 per
cent of GDP in 2016/17 to 2,4 per cent in 2018/19. This is expected to be achieved
through a combination of a lower expenditure ceiling and increased tax revenues.
This path, if realised, can be expected to moderate inflation somewhat while
improving South Africa’s credit metrics and confidence in general.
Food price pressures, driven by the drought and the depreciated exchange rate,
have intensified by more than previously forecast and remain a significant upside risk
to inflation. Manufactured food price inflation measured 7,8 per cent in the PPI,
while agricultural prices increased by 25,9 per cent, with cereals and other crops
increasing by 79,2 per cent. These increases are expected to impact with a lag on
consumer prices. Annual CPI food price inflation is now expected to peak at 11,6 per
cent in the final quarter of 2016, compared with 11,3 per cent previously.
International oil prices have recovered somewhat from their lows of below US$30 per
barrel seen in January, as the global oversupply appears to have subsided in the
wake of production cut-backs in a number of countries. Although the Bank has
reduced its oil price assumption for the forecast period, it still assumes an upward
trajectory as in the previous forecast. However, there is some upside risk to this

forecast, should some agreement on an output freeze be reached by some of the
larger producers. The domestic petrol price was reduced by about 69 cents per litre
earlier this month, to its lowest level since March 2015. However, the current underrecovery, driven mainly by higher international product prices, suggests that this
decline could be substantially reversed in April. This increase will be in addition to
the 30 cent per litre increase in the fuel levy announced in the budget.
Although the inflation forecast has improved moderately since the previous meeting
of the Monetary Policy Committee, the committee remains concerned about the
protracted nature of the breach of the target. Furthermore, the committee assesses
the risks to the forecast to be on the upside. The main risk factors relate to the
exchange rate and food prices. The exchange rate of the rand continues to be highly
volatile and vulnerable to changes in both domestic and external developments.
While the pass-through from the exchange to inflation is still relatively low, there are
signs that this may be increasing.
Food prices have been accelerating faster than previously expected, due to the
weaker exchange rate and the intensification of the drought, resulting in an upward
revision to the food price forecast. The Committee views the risks to this forecast to
be on the upside, particularly for 2017 when fairly strong favourable base effects are
expected. A more protracted drought, combined with a weaker exchange rate and
restocking of herds, may keep food price inflation elevated for a longer period than
currently forecast. The Committee also assesses the risks to the international oil
price assumption to be on the upside.
The MPC is cognisant of the fact that demand pressures on inflation remain
subdued, and indications are that household consumption expenditure is likely to

remain constrained. Nevertheless the recent increase in core inflation and its
expected upward trend is indicative of broader inflation pressures and possible
second-round effects from supply side shocks. While the evolution of inflation
expectations is critical in this regard, at this stage there is no clear evidence of a
deterioration in longer-term inflation expectations, but they remain at an elevated
level.
The Committee remains concerned about the weak growth outlook amid negative
business and consumer confidence. The growth challenges facing the economy are
compounded by the deteriorating outlook for global growth. The committee assesses
the risk to the growth outlook to be on the downside.
Given the upside risks to the inflation forecast and the protracted period of the
expected breach, the MPC decided that further tightening was required to
complement the previous moves. Accordingly, the MPC decided to increase the
repurchase rate by 25 basis points to 7,00 per cent per annum, effective from 18
March 2016. Three members favoured a 25 basis point increase while three
members preferred no change. Ultimately the committee decided on an increase.
The Committee faced the continuing dilemma of a deteriorating inflation environment
and a worsening growth outlook. The MPC remains sensitive to the possible
negative effects of policy tightening on cyclical growth, but will remain focused on its
mandate of maintaining price stability.
Lesetja Kganyago

GOVERNOR

Contact person:
Candice Jeffreys
+27 12 313 4209