CONSUMER INSIGHTS | MARCH 2025 Absa’s Merchant Spend Analytics: January 2025 Absa | Corporate and Investment Banking > Insights and Events > Absa’s Merchant Spend Analytics: January 2025 SHARE Consume This, CGS Monthly: Volume 13 The January 2025 card transaction data, as anticipated, demonstrated a MTM decline, reflecting a post-festive season spending lull. However, YTD card transaction data figures for January 2025 compared to January 2024 paint a more optimistic picture than the month-to-month data, suggesting a continued, albeit slightly moderated, upward trend in card spending. Card spending has seen a modest increase of 7% YTD Jan ’24, a slight uptick from the 6% growth recorded during the same period in 2024. Importantly, this growth continues to outpace the inflation rate, a positive sign for the economy and consumer purchasing power. Key insights Your browser does not support the video tag. The Consumer Team anticipates an increase in YTD card spending and transaction volumes in 2025 compared to 2024. However, several uncertainties remain. Global trade tensions, potentially intensified by a second Trump presidency, pose a significant risk to economic stability and consumer confidence. Moreover, the disinflationary environment that has prevailed for some time appears to be waning. Download latest Absa Merchant Spend Analytics Report https://cib.absa.africa/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/file_example_MP3_700KB.mp3 Related Articles CONSUMER INSIGHTS Absa’s Merchant Spend Analytics: December 2024 We are pleased to share the latest Merchant Spend Analytics report, focusing on December card spending activity. Read more CONSUMER INSIGHTS Absa’s Merchant Spend Analytics: November 2024 While Black Friday 2024 marked a modest improvement over the previous year’s dismal performance, it fell short of the double-digit growth achieved in 2022. The post-payday boost contributed to a rise in overall card spending from 3% to 6% during Black Friday 2024, despite a slight softening in transaction volumes. Read more CONSUMER INSIGHTS Absa’s Merchant Spend Analytics: October 2024 Consume This, CGS Monthly: Volume 10. After a dip in September, card spending and transaction volumes rebounded strongly in October. This uptick can be attributed to factors such as the recent 2-pot retirement reform and overall economic improvement. This positive trend is particularly promising for this Black Friday, Cyber Monday and upcoming Festive Season. Read more
