South Africa’s mining and construction materials sectors showed further signs of stabilisation during the first quarter of 2026, with building materials production recording its third consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth. Mining production and cement-related mineral sales also improved compared to early 2025, pointing to somewhat firmer activity across parts of the infrastructure, mining-related and industrial construction market.
However, underlying manufacturing production linked to cement and aggregates remained relatively subdued, suggesting that the recovery in construction demand is still uneven and partly supported by pricing effects and selective project activity rather than a broad-based market recovery. Nevertheless, the latest data indicates improving conditions across parts of the construction materials value chain compared to the weaker environment experienced during 2024 and early 2025.
