In the first quarter of the current year, South Africa's seasonally adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.9 percent quarter on quarter, according to the detailed statistics released by Statistics South Africa. The country's GDP had increased 2.5 percent on year-on-year basis in the whole of 2012. South Africa's unadjusted GDP rose 1.9 percent in the first quarter this year compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
Meanwhile, in the first quarter this year the country's manufacturing sector showed a decrease of 7.9 percent from the previous quarter following year-on-year growth of 2.4 percent in the whole of 2012. According to the report, manufacturing activity fell due to lower production in the petroleum, chemical products, rubber and plastic products division, the basic iron and steel, non-ferrous metal products, metal products and machinery division, the wood and wood products, paper, publishing and printing division, the furniture and other manufacturing division, and in the radio, television and communication apparatus and professional equipment division.