Minimal changes to October's South African PMI

According to the Business Week report, manufacturing, which makes up about 15% of gross domestic product (GDP), is up, as companies boosted output to make up for lost production after it slumped in the second quarter, following a series of strikes in the chemical, petroleum and mining industries. However, Europe, which buys about a third of SA's manufactured exports, is in the midst of a debt crisis and that may undermine that recovery.

For more:

• Business Week: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-11-01/south-african-pmi-little-changed-in-october-staying-near-50.html

• Bloomberg.com: South Africa's Jobless Rate Unexpectedly Declines to 25%