Standard Chartered Bank hasn\u2019t given up on the rand or South Africa yet, even after the worst quarterly economic contraction in nine years.<\/p>\n
One reason for optimism is growth in household wealth and spending, said Razia Khan, the London-based lender\u2019s chief economist for Africa and the Middle East.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that households have used the period of low interest rates to deleverage considerably,\u201d Khan said at a client presentation in Johannesburg Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are now in better shape to be able to contribute more strongly to growth. Demand for durable goods has continued to rise.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lender sees the rand strengthening to R11.80 per dollar<\/strong> by the end of the year, from around R12.76 on Wednesday, and the economy expanding by 2.2% in 2018.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason why we are a little bit more upbeat on South African growth than many of our peers is that when we look closely at the data, we see those green shoots of recovery,\u201d Khan said.<\/p>\n While rising U.S. rates were causing volatility in emerging-markets currencies, Treasury yields remain in a long-term downward trend, she said. The rand hasn\u2019t broken out of its longer-term trading range and is well-placed to regain its strengthening trajectory.<\/p>\n South Africa\u2019s currency soared in the first quarter as Cyril Ramaphosa maneuvered to replace Jacob Zuma as president, boosting business confidence after four years of economic growth below 2%.<\/p>\n But recent data showed an economy still struggling to take off, with output contracting 2.2% in the first quarter of the year compared with the previous three months.<\/p>\n
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