South African economy rebounds in Q3 after pandemic crash

South Africa’s economy bounced back strongly in the third quarter from a slump inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic, official data showed on Tuesday.

Gross domestic product (GDP) in Africa’s second-largest economy expanded 13.5 per cent quarter-on-quarter in July-September, “largely as a result of the easing of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions,” statistics agency StatSA said in a statement.

The previous three months had brought a 16.6-per cent contraction.

In annualised terms, the statistics agency’s preferred measure, third-quarter growth reached 66.1 per cent, after falling back by 51.7 per cent in April-June.

To this day, South Africa accounts for most African coronavirus cases, with almost 820,000 confirmed infections out of 2.3 million across the continent.

Leaders imposed a strict lockdown on March 27, aimed at controlling the virus’ spread but which also hobbled the economy.

The government started to gradually loosen restrictions as new infections slowed during the third quarter, allowing economic activity to start picking back up.

Manufacturing, trade and mining were “the biggest drivers of growth in the third quarter,” the statisticians said, contributing 16.2, 14.6 and...