The South African rand was flat in early trade on Wednesday, before the release of a purchasing managers’ index survey for the local manufacturing sector and vehicle sales figures.
At 0601 GMT the rand traded at 17.25 against the dollar, the exact same level as Tuesday's close.
The Absa PMI for September is set to be released at 0900 GMT and will shed light on manufacturing conditions in Africa’s most industrialized economy.
South African manufacturing sentiment deteriorated in August after a short-lived improvement in July, as activity remained subdued and both domestic and export demand were sluggish.
Local investors will then turn their focus to vehicle sales data for September due around 1200 GMT, which will give a snapshot of consumer demand for big-ticket items.
Nedbank economists, in a research note, said that they expected vehicle sales to have remained strong in September “underpinned by easier financial conditions due to interest rate cuts, lower debt service costs and subdued prices.”
In fixed income, government bonds weakened in early deals, as the yield for debt maturing in 2035 rose 2.5 basis points to 9.205%.
