By Bhargav Acharya and Alexander Winning
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -South Africa’s rand was stable on Friday against a buoyant dollar, after the local unit hit a fresh 13-month high earlier in the day supported by improved investor sentiment on signs the domestic economy is starting to gain momentum.
At 1512 GMT, the rand was flat at 17.7550 per dollar. It earlier hit 17.5950 against the greenback, a level not seen since late July 2023.
The dollar last traded about 0.23% stronger against a basket of global currencies.
The rand’s earlier gains were pared as the greenback firmed after U.S. core personal consumption expenditure data, a key inflation reading, cemented expectations that the Federal Reserve will likely cut interest rates by 25 basis points in September.
Analysts have linked recent rand strength to a structural improvement on the supply side of Africa’s most industrialised economy, with South Africa not witnessing rolling power cuts for over 150 days thanks to a big improvement in state power utility Eskom’s performance.
“There have been no power cuts in South Africa for several months,” Commerzbank FX analyst Volkmar Baur said in a research note. “This has not happened in South Africa for years.”
Power cuts have hampered South Africa’s economic growth for over a decade, with outages on a record 335 days last year.
Inflation also appears to have turned a corner.
Data released on Thursday showed annual producer inflation in South Africa dropped to 4.2% in July.
July consumer inflation fell to a three-year low of 4.6%, falling close to the midpoint of the South African central bank’s 3% to 6% target range and bolstering expectations the bank will cut its main interest rate for the first time in four years next month.
Baur said lower domestic interest rates could stimulate further investment and structural improvements in the economy.
“This positive development reduces the risk premium that the foreign exchange market has placed on South Africa in recent years and strengthens the rand,” he added.
South Africa’s central bank governor Lesetja Kganyago said on Thursday that the country was getting to grips with reforms that could lift its growth potential.
On the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the Top-40 index closed 0.64% down.
South Africa’s benchmark 2030 government bond was weaker, as the yield gained 6.5 basis point to 9.2%.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya and Alexander Winning; Additional reporting by Tannur Anders; Editing by Susan Fenton and Aurora Ellis)
