South African economy shrinks 51 per cent in second quarter due to lockdown

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (Photo: File)

South Africa's economic output shrank 51.0 per cent in the second quarter, its fourth quarterly contraction in a row and largest on record, as a strict lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus shut down most activity, data showed on Tuesday.

Africa's most industrialised nation has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, recording the seventh-largest number of cases worldwide, although it has seen fewer deaths than some other badly affected countries.