PRETORIA - ‌South Africa's economy grew 1.1% in 2025, slower than the country's central bank ​and National Treasury had forecast, statistics agency data showed on Tuesday.

* The country's ​coalition government ​is trying to lift the growth rate after it has averaged less than 1% annually over the past decade

* Statistician-General Risenga ⁠Maluleke told a press conference that "1% (growth) should not send a lot of excitement out there ... because such growth will not be able to contain the joblessness that we see".

* The South African ​Reserve Bank ‌had predicted a ⁠1.3% increase in ⁠gross domestic product last year, and the National Treasury a 1.4% expansion.

* Fourth-quarter ​growth of 0.4% was marginally better than ‌expected in quarter-on-quarter terms, but at ⁠0.8% on a year-on-year basis it undershot the median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists

* Five of the 10 sectors tracked by Statistics South Africa grew in the fourth quarter, and five contracted

* Growth was mainly concentrated in consumer-facing sectors, whereas primary and secondary parts of the economy shrank

* Africa's biggest economy saw investor confidence rise last year thanks to an improving fiscal picture ‌and the government's commitment to keeping inflation low

* Gross fixed ⁠capital formation grew 1.3% in the fourth quarter, ​the second consecutive quarter of growth, mainly driven by the private sector. But economists say there needs to be much more fixed ​investment to ‌meaningfully boost the growth rate.