Continued evidence of some diverging trends at segment level in the planning and construction phases of residential building activity.

The first quarter of 2019 saw significant diverging trends at a segment level in private sector financed residential building activity in South Africa.

Much in line with developments in 2018, private sector-financed building activity (see explanatory note) in the South African market for new housing showed divergent trends in early 2019, based on data released by Statistics South Africa.

Levels of building activity in the South African market for new housing remained subdued in 2018, which were much in line with trends since 2010 after the economy emerged from recession in 2008/09.

Private sector-financed building activity (see explanatory note) in the South African market for new housing remained subdued in the first eleven months of 2018, based on data released by Statistics South Africa.

After rising to 35 in 3Q2018, the FNB/BER Building Confidence Index fell back to 32 in 4Q2018. 

Private sector-financed building activity (see explanatory note) in the South African market for new housing showed continued diverging trends on specifically a segment level in the first eight months of 2018, which caused the planning phase of new housing to have improved whereas the construction phase has contracted over this period.

Residential building activity in the planning phase improved, with the construction phase contracting in the first four months of 2018.

The first three quarters of 2017 saw building activity in the South African market for new private sector-financed housing (see explanatory notes) contracting in both the planning and construction phases compared with the corresponding period last year, based on data released by Statistics South Africa.

Building activity in the South African market for new private sector-financed housing showed some marginal improvement on a year-on-year basis in both the planning and construction phases in the first seven months of 2017, based on data released by Statistics South Africa.