CAPE TOWN: South Africa has reported a blow-out trade surplus of ZAR18.7bn ($1.26bn), way beyond what economists had expected.
The record-breaking surplus in May reflects a huge boost to exports – so far this year they are up by 10.2 per cent compared to the same spell last year. Imports rose by a much more modest 3.4 per cent. Economists polled by Bloomberg had expected to see a surplus of ZAR4.1bn.