The rand was flat in early trade on Thursday ahead of monthly mining and manufacturing figures that could give clues on the health of the local economy.

At 0635 GMT, the rand traded at R16.21 against the dollar, little changed from its previous close of R16.22.

The dollar index, which measures the currency against six rivals, was last trading at 105.28, after plunging overnight on a softer-than-expected US inflation report.

The rand, which is highly susceptible to swings in global market sentiment, rose as much as 2.9% on Wednesday following the report.

Statistics South Africa will publish data on June mining at 0930 GMT and manufacturing at 1100 GMT.

The government’s benchmark 2030 bond was slightly down in early deals, with the yield up 1.5 basis points to 10.030%.