Conditions in the manufacturing sector ticked up marginally in January, even as business activity remained under pressure, weighed down by mid-month load-shedding and ongoing level 3 pandemic restrictions.
The latest Absa purchasing managers’ index , released in conjunction with the Bureau for Economic Research, ticked up to 50.9 points in January from December’s 50.3. But business activity in the sector declined for a fourth consecutive month, which points to a further loss in recovery momentum, Absa said in a release on Monday. ..