Indicators

World Bank Lifts South Africa GDP Forecast on Energy, Logistics

  • South Africa’s economy seen growing 1.8% in 2025, 2% in 2027
  • Bank says growth rate won’t be enough to reduce poverty
A truck at the Port of Cape Town.Photographer: Dwayne Senior/Bloomberg
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The World Bank raised its economic-growth forecast for South Africa because of a sustained recovery in its energy and logistics sectors, while warning that the nation will struggle to achieve a pace of expansion needed to reduce poverty and unemployment.

The Washington-based lender boosted its gross domestic product growth projection for 2025 to 1.8%, from 1.3% previously, according to its South Africa Economic Update report published on Tuesday. The bank expects growth to accelerate to 2% by 2027.