The 8.1% recovery in manufacturing, which accounts for about 13% of the economy, helped South Africa report a 3.3% rise in gross domestic product in the second quarter. However, there were immediate questions about whether the performance would be sustained, particularly after the Barclays Purchasing Managers Index dropped a significant 6.2 index points to 46.3 in August. The slump placed the index back in contraction territory, having remained above the neutral 50-point mark during the preceding five months.