2018.09.1904:38:00UTC+00South Africa Inflation Unexpectedly Slows In August

South Africa's consumer price inflation slowed in August, after surging in the previous month, defying expectations for further acceleration, preliminary data from Statistics South Africa showed Wednesday.

The consumer price index rose 4.9 percent year-on-year following 5.1 percent increase in July. Economists had expected inflation to climb to 5.2 percent.

In June, inflation was 4.6 percent.

Excluding food and non-alcoholic beverages, fuel and energy, inflation was 4.2 percent.

On a month-on-month basis, the CPI decreased 0.1 percent in August. Economists had expected 0.2 percent increase.