Consumer price inflation peaked at 20,7 per cent in January 1986 and the prime overdraft rate rose from 14 per cent in 1983 to 25 per cent in 1984 before declining to 12 per cent at the end of 1986. The subdued gold price also impacted negatively on the economy.
Only agriculture, which is an inherently volatile sector, managed to grow at a rate in excess of the 2,2 per cent per annum population growth rate. On the expenditure side, fixed capital formation fell by 3,2 per cent per annum.