SOUNDINGS

A daily reading of the South African investment case

The read, 29 Oct 2026

Fixed Investment (GFCF) as % of GDP D2
13.70%
Bullish
SA–US 10-Year Yield Spread X1c
374bps
Neutral

China & India X2–X3

Are China and India growing, and are they buying more South African minerals?

Horizon

Are they growing or slowing? X2a · X3a

GDP growth, year on year % y/y · quarterly
ChinaIndia
0.0%10.0%20.0%5.0%8.0%2022Q12023Q12024Q12025Q12026Q1

Two series, one unit, one axis — and a visible zero rule, because a growth rate that crosses zero is a different kind of news.

Table view — GDP growth, year on year
DateChinaIndia
31 Mar 20265.0%7.96%
31 Dec 20254.50%7.83%
30 Sept 20254.80%8.07%
30 Jun 20255.20%7.11%
31 Mar 20255.40%7.12%
31 Dec 20245.40%6.73%
30 Sept 20244.60%6.79%
30 Jun 20244.70%7.78%
31 Mar 20245.30%7.50%
31 Dec 20235.30%5.63%
30 Sept 20235.0%8.38%
30 Jun 20236.50%7.39%
31 Mar 20234.70%7.53%
31 Dec 20223.0%9.17%
30 Sept 20224.0%5.16%
30 Jun 20220.80%16.47%
31 Mar 20224.80%4.08%
31 Dec 20214.50%4.28%
30 Sept 20215.50%10.92%
30 Jun 20218.10%22.96%
31 Mar 202118.90%2.78%

Neutral 5.0% year-on-year in Q1 2026, unchanged and 212 days old. Up from 4.5% in Q4 2025, down from 5.4% a year earlier. Recovered from the Q4 low and slower than a year ago; neither direction is established. The demand side of your commodity exposure is neither helping nor hurting.

Are they buying more South African minerals? X2b · X3b

SA goods exports USD bn FOB · monthly
To ChinaTo India
$0.5bn$1.0bn$1.5bn$1.4bn$0.3bnJan 22Jan 23Jan 24Jan 25Jan 26

These are total bilateral goods exports, about four months in arrears — not minerals-only series. Minerals dominate the China total (82% of the December 2025 figure) but are a narrower majority of India’s (58%, coal-led), so the India line is the looser proxy of the two. Both are labelled as what they are rather than as what was asked for.

Table view — SA goods exports
DateTo ChinaTo India
30 Jun 2026$1.42bn$0.34bn
31 May 2026$1.19bn$0.48bn
30 Apr 2026$1.28bn$0.50bn
31 Mar 2026$1.24bn$0.53bn
28 Feb 2026$1.14bn$0.46bn
31 Jan 2026$1.30bn$0.35bn
31 Dec 2025$1.16bn$0.40bn
30 Nov 2025$1.09bn$0.41bn
31 Oct 2025$1.14bn$0.42bn
30 Sept 2025$1.21bn$0.38bn
31 Aug 2025$1.14bn$0.32bn
31 Jul 2025$1.05bn$0.30bn
30 Jun 2025$1.08bn$0.26bn
31 May 2025$0.98bn$0.42bn
30 Apr 2025$0.91bn$0.46bn
31 Mar 2025$0.90bn$0.42bn
28 Feb 2025$0.87bn$0.29bn
31 Jan 2025$0.91bn$0.40bn
31 Dec 2024$1.01bn$0.47bn
30 Nov 2024$1.01bn$0.39bn
31 Oct 2024$0.84bn$0.42bn
30 Sept 2024$1.06bn$0.34bn
31 Aug 2024$1.09bn$0.35bn
31 Jul 2024$1.07bn$0.40bn
30 Jun 2024$1.08bn$0.42bn
31 May 2024$1.10bn$0.42bn
30 Apr 2024$0.95bn$0.43bn
31 Mar 2024$0.95bn$0.37bn
29 Feb 2024$1.00bn$0.30bn
31 Jan 2024$0.89bn$0.33bn
31 Dec 2023$1.12bn$0.51bn
30 Nov 2023$1.07bn$0.42bn
31 Oct 2023$0.82bn$0.50bn
30 Sept 2023$1.04bn$0.43bn
31 Aug 2023$1.13bn$0.35bn
31 Jul 2023$0.85bn$0.29bn
30 Jun 2023$1.07bn$0.28bn
31 May 2023$1.14bn$0.44bn
30 Apr 2023$1.04bn$0.54bn
31 Mar 2023$1.10bn$0.49bn
28 Feb 2023$0.92bn$0.37bn
31 Jan 2023$1.09bn$0.32bn
31 Dec 2022$0.91bn$0.25bn
30 Nov 2022$1.01bn$0.41bn
31 Oct 2022$0.64bn$0.32bn
30 Sept 2022$0.96bn$0.67bn
31 Aug 2022$1.16bn$0.33bn
31 Jul 2022$1.26bn$0.35bn
30 Jun 2022$1.04bn$0.42bn
31 May 2022$1.04bn$0.69bn
30 Apr 2022$0.82bn$0.41bn
31 Mar 2022$1.10bn$0.55bn
28 Feb 2022$0.79bn$0.55bn
31 Jan 2022$0.86bn$0.41bn
31 Dec 2021$0.87bn$0.48bn
30 Nov 2021$1.07bn$0.41bn
31 Oct 2021$0.80bn$0.36bn
30 Sept 2021$1.06bn$0.36bn
31 Aug 2021$1.24bn$0.26bn
31 Jul 2021$1.25bn$0.32bn

Showing the most recent 60 of 61 observations in this window.

Bullish $1.424bn in June 2026, the highest month on your record (since 2016). +19.76% on May's $1.189bn and +32.22% on June 2025's $1.077bn. The print is 121 days old. Bullish holds. The year-on-year gain is about a third. The figure describes June, not now, but June was the best month the China leg has had.

Where these numbers come from

SeriesSourceCadenceLatest
China GDP GrowthDBnomics (OECD Quarterly GDP growth, G20)quarterly · quantitative2026-03-31 · lagging
India GDP GrowthDBnomics (OECD Quarterly GDP growth, G20)quarterly · quantitative2026-03-31 · lagging
SA Mineral/Commodity Exports to ChinaIMF IMTS (DOTS successor), SDMX 2.1 API, keylessmonthly · quantitative2026-06-30 · lagging
SA Mineral/Commodity Exports to IndiaIMF IMTS (DOTS successor), SDMX 2.1 API, keylessmonthly · quantitative2026-06-30 · lagging