SA's producer price index (PPI) registered growth of 8.9% year on year (y/y) in January from 9.8% y/y in December and 10.1% y/y in November.
The average annual change for 2011 was 8.4% compared with 6.0% in 2010.
The PPI, on a monthly basis, was 0.3% after decreasing slightly between November and December 2011.
The PPI was expected to clock in at 9.5% y/y in January, a survey by I-Net Bridge found.
Forecasts among five leading economists surveyed ranged from 8.8% y/y to 9.6% y/y.
Export producer inflation was recorded at 8.7% y/y in January compared to 10.5% y/y in December, and -0.6% month on month.
Imported producer inflation jumped by 15.5% y/y in January from 16.4% y/y in December, and recorded a 0.7% month on month increase. - I-Net Bridge