Local business confidence fell for the fifth straight month and to its lowest level since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, as SA’s ongoing power crisis weighs on profitability, according to the latest Rand Merchant Bank /Bureau for Economic Research business confidence index .
The index fell by nine index points from the first quarter to 27 in the second quarter of 2023, coming at levels last seen in 2020. That suggests that only about one in every four respondents were satisfied with the prevailing business conditions...A subscription helps you enjoy the best of our business content every day along with benefits such as articles from our international business news partners; ProfileData financial data; and digital access to the Sunday Times and TimesLive Premium.