South Africa's central bank kept its main lending rate unchanged at 8.25% in a decision announced on Thursday.

It was the fourth meeting in a row that the bank has left its repo rate on hold. All economists polled by Reuters had forecast that the rate would be left unchanged.

The decision was unanimous, said central bank governor Lesetja Kganyago.

Inflation fell for a second month to 5.1% year-on-year in December from 5.5% in November, remaining within the central bank's target range of 3%-6%.

The bank has said it wants to see inflation sustainably around the midpoint of its target range, which is 4.5%, before considering rate cuts.

(Reporting by Nellie Peyton, Bhargav Acharya and Kopano Gumbi Additional reporting by Anait Miridzhanian in Johannesburg Editing by Alexander Winning)