FNB/BER South Africa Consumer Confidence Index

FNB/BER Consumer Confidence Index reflects the level of consumer confidence South Africa's economic activity.

The Bureau for Economic Research conducts a quarterly survey among a representative sample of 2500 adults who reside primarily in urban areas of South Africa. The questionnaire contains three questions: expected economy development, household financial position and their rating of current time conditions for purchasing durable goods, such as furniture and home appliances.

The resulting index value is the percentage of the population who assess the situation positively and have positive expectations, minus the percentage of negative assessments. Theoretically, the index value can vary from -100 to 100. But historic figures show the following extreme values: -33, which indicates extreme uncertainty and pessimism, and +23, which means the highest level of consumer confidence. The average value for all index calculation years is +2, which can be taken as a neutral level.

Positive values show that consumers are confident in the country's economic development and thus indicator growth can be seen as positive for the South African rand. Conversely, negative values can push ZAR quotes down.