JOHANNESBURG - Consumer confidence slipped further in the third quarter of 2025.
The FNB/BER Consumer Confidence Index dropped from minus 10 to minus 13, well below the long-term average of minus one.
The sharpest fall was in middle-income households, where confidence plunged from minus-7 to minus-16.
Rising inflation, poor job growth, and shrinking retirement withdrawals are squeezing spending power.
But high-income confidence held steady, and durable goods sentiment ticked up slightly.
The bottom line? Consumers are cautious, and household spending is set to slow heading towards year-end.