JOHANNESBURG - The South African rand firmed in early trade ​on Friday, ⁠buoyed by a weaker dollar, while ‌locally focussed traders awaited the private sector purchasing managers' ​index (PMI).

At 0706 GMT, the rand traded ​at 16.2025 against ​the dollar , up about 0.5% from its previous close.

The U.S. ⁠dollar was down 0.3% against a basket of currencies after a tepid U.S. jobs report cooled market expectations for a near-term ​Federal ‌Reserve rate ⁠hike.

The ⁠rand, like other emerging market currencies, tends to take ​direction from global factors, ‌including U.S. economic data and ⁠geopolitical developments.

Domestic investors will look to the June S&P Global whole-economy PMI at 0715 GMT for clues on business conditions in the country.

A manufacturing PMI on Wednesday showed that South African factory sentiment deteriorated in June as ‌weaker demand weighed on new orders, though ⁠lower oil prices boosted confidence ​about future business conditions.

South Africa's benchmark 2035 government bond was stronger in early ​deals, with ‌the yield down 2.5 basis points ⁠to 8.24%.