South African rand under pressure ahead of raft of economic data

Kitco Media
By Reuters
Published:
Updated:
Reuters
JOHANNESBURG, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The South African rand was pressured by a stronger U.S. dollar in early trade on Tuesday ahead of the release of domestic money supply, budget, trade and unemployment data later in the day. At 0550 GMT, the rand traded at 18.4600 against the U.S. dollar, about 0.2% weaker than its closing level on Monday. The dollar was up around 0.2% against a basket of global currencies . South Africa's January money supply figures are due at 0600 GMT, followed by fourth-quarter unemployment numbers at 0930 GMT.


January trade and budget data will be released at 1200 GMT. South Africa's economy is expected to register minimal growth this year as record power cuts constrain businesses of all sizes. At its first interest rate meeting of 2023, the central bank cut this year's growth forecast to 0.3% from a previous estimate of 1.1%.
(Reporting by Alexander Winning; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.