Inflation South Africa 2008
Average inflation: 9.9%
Inflation in 2008
Inflation is very high at 9.9%, far above the ECB target.
Peak and Trough
The highest inflation was in August at 11.2%. The lowest inflation was in January at 8.3%.
- Highest month
- August: 11.2%
- Lowest month
- January: 8.3%
- Difference
- 2.9 percentage points
- Months with data
- 12 of 12
Historical Context
Inflation is 5.8 percentage points higher than the 5-year average of 4.1%.
- 5-year average
- 4.1%
- 10-year average
- 5.2%
- All-time high (1991)
- 15.3%
- All-time low (2004)
- -0.7%
Trend
Over the period 2006-2008, inflation shows an upward trend. Compared to 2007, inflation has risen by 3.7 percentage points.
- Change vs. previous year
- +3.7 percentage points
- Largest monthly swing
- August: +5.0 percentage points
ECB Target
Inflation is 7.9 percentage points above the ECB target of 2.0%. This means purchasing power is declining faster than intended.
Purchasing Power
At this high inflation rate, purchasing power rapidly decreases. This has a major impact on households, especially without adequate salary increases.
What you could buy for ZAR 100 this year will cost approximately ZAR 109.90 next year at this inflation rate.
Multi-year trend
Monthly figures 2008
Inflation by category
Inflation differs per product group. Click on a category for the historical trend.
Month overview
| Month | Inflation | Difference vs. 2007 |
|---|---|---|
| January | 8.3% | +3.1 |
| February | 8.7% | +3.8 |
| March | 9.5% | +4.2 |
| April | 9.3% | +3.3 |
| May | 9.6% | +3.6 |
| June | 10.3% | +4.3 |
| July | 11.1% | +4.9 |
| August | 11.2% | +5.0 |
| September | 11.0% | +4.5 |
| October | 10.5% | +3.6 |
| November | 10.2% | +3.0 |
| December | 9.2% | +1.6 |
| Average | 9.9% |
Data source
Data from OECD. Last updated: 19/12/2025.