GDP decline exposes South Africa’s uneven growth and jobs crisis

South Africa's economy contracted by 0.2% in the second quarter of 2026, ending six consecutive quarters of growth. The mining, trade, and manufacturing sectors contributed to this decline, resulting in a loss of 16,000 jobs, while the number of unemployed increased by 345,000 to 8.5 million. The official unemployment rate rose from 32.7% to 33.6%, with significant job losses particularly in community and social services.