According to the preliminary data released on March 8 by Statistics South Africa, in January this year the country's manufacturing output grew by 2.4 percent compared to January 2011, while seasonally adjusted manufacturing production for the three months ended January 31 increased by 0.4 percent compared to the previous three months ended October 31 last year.
In South Africa, the production of basic iron and steel products in January increased by 8.6 percent year on year. Meanwhile, the seasonally adjusted manufacturing production of basic iron and steel products in the three-month period ended January 31 increased by 17.7 percent compared to the previous three months ended October 31.
Meanwhile, for basic iron and steel products, the seasonally adjusted sales of manufactured products (at current prices) in January this year decreased by 9.8 percent compared to December and down 0.3 percent year on year, falling to ZAR 8.8 million ($1.17 million).