A woman carries shopping bags.
JOHANNESBURG - Holiday-related consumer shopping activity likely boosted March's retail sales.
That's the word from FNB senior economist Siphamandla Mkhwanazi.
Retail sales expanded by 2.3-percent in March from a decline of 0.7 percent in the previous month.
StatsSA released the latest numbers on Wednesday and the outcome was ahead of market expectations.
General dealers largely drove the better-than-expected numbers, with the biggest declines seen in the hardware and pharmaceuticals sectors.
Mkhwanazi says there are glimmers of hope with a slowdown in inflation, but consumer confidence remains low.