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South Africa’s inflation falls slightly more than expected in September - REUTERS
Bhargav Acharya and Tannur Anders
JOHANNESBURG, Oct 23 (Reuters) – South Africa’s headline consumer inflation fell slightly more than expected in September, to 3.8% year on year from 4.4% in August , data from the statistics agency showed on Wednesday.
In month-on-month terms inflation was at 0.1% in September, the same as a month before.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast inflation would fall to 3.9%, well below 4.5% – the level preferred by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB).
Wednesday’s reading could encourage the SARB to deliver another interest rate cut at its monetary policy meeting in November, after its first cut in more than four years last month.
The SARB struck a measured tone at its September meeting, saying that although inflation had fallen faster than expected, there were still risks to the outlook.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya and Tannur Anders; Editing by Alexander Winning)
