–Extract from PMI January 2022 report
The Stanbic Bank Zambia PMI was down slightly to 51.5 in December of 2021 from 51.8 in November but continued to signal improvements in the health of the private sector in December, helped by a further acceleration in the pace of new order growth. New business rose by expanding employment and purchasing activity, while output ticked down. Suppliers’ delivery times lengthened for the fifth successive month, and at the same pace as in November as a result of disruption related to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the price front, purchase prices and staff costs increased at a softer pace. Meanwhile, companies declined their own selling prices for the fourth consecutive month to attract customers. Looking forward, optimism improved, with around 40% of respondents predicting a rise in activity and demand in 2022.