In its annual Global Economic Prospects report, the World Bank said inflationary pressures would decline "as weaker private consumption offsets inflationary pressures stemming from higher import costs due to a weaker currency and high construction costs as infrastructure investment picks up".

South Africa's central bank governor Tito Mboweni said earlier he expected the CPIX inflation rate to break the upper end of its three to six per cent target range in April before falling back.

The South African central bank also raised its repo rate by half a percentage point to nine per cent, its fourth increase since June, to tame inflationary pressures.

The World Bank said inflationary pressures were also likely to decline in many oil-importing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa due to lower global oil prices and non-oil commodity prices and prudent monetary policies.

Meanwhile, in oil producing countries in the region, strengthening currencies would help tame inflationary pressure stemming from pent-up domestic demand and expected increases in public spending.

Nampa-Reuters

Marketplace News Headlines Of The Last 48 Hours

•  Financial meltdown knocks global factories
•  Tensions brew over EU's vetting of state aid to banks
•  DBN assistance paves way for women
•  China urges developed states to take lead in climate change
•  Bridgestone puts on the brakes at US plant Japanese firm will cut jobs and stop making tyres
•  Price transparency for Nam's telecoms sector
•  Consumer debt affects health
•  The mantra of the big guns and the cries of the back streets
•  SA mining unions call for halt to new lay-offs
•  Polytechnic receives financial boost
•  Nam moves to get ban on exports to SA lifted
•  BEE firms in SA must bail themselves out, say black managers
•  Maputo remains optimistic about foreign aid flows
•  US$500m biofuels project wants Mozambican labour to produce ethanol
•  Union asks leaders not to back down on aid for decent work
•  House market will worsen in South Africa, says Absa
•  Fortescue shares surge on bid rumours by BHP and China
•   Chinese manufacturing drops sharply
•  Ryanair makes new takeover bid for Aer Lingus