South Africa's inflation rate rose slightly in March but remained relatively low overall. According to Statistics South Africa, annual consumer inflation rose to 3.1% in February from 3.0%.
Prices rose 0.6% on a monthly basis. The main drivers behind the growth were food and financial services as well as housing and utilities.
Six of the thirteen major expenditure categories, including transportation, education and restaurants, recorded growth. Education continues continuously.
Tuition fees increased by 5.4% this year, with private education seeing the fastest increase of 7.5%. In contrast, transportation costs remain in negative territory, down 1.6% from a year ago, although the pace of decline is slowing.
Officials say the data was collected before fuel price increases in April, meaning upward pressure could build in the coming months. Food inflation eased slightly to 3.6%.
Several categories, including fruits, vegetables, cereals and dairy, actually recorded deflation. Dairy prices in particular have now fallen for ten consecutive months.
Overall, goods inflation remains subdued, while services inflation is rising.