South Africans received welcome economic relief at the end of July when the South African Reserve Bank cut the repo rate from 7.25% to 7%, easing borrowing costs and creating conditions to stimulate investment and business activity. This positive development comes as Stats SA reported a 1.6% year-on-year increase in retail sales for June, with the hardware, paint and glass industries contributing +0.1 points to growth despite ongoing price pressures since 2019. The rate reduction is expected to boost retail activity further as consumers benefit from increased disposable income, whilst this month’s issue features our Product Showcase on page 45 with a chance to win a R10,000 Takealot voucher, plus reports on Plascon’s Supplier Awards (page 86) and Matus’ successful golf day (page 92).