JOHANNESBURG: South Africa's rand firmed against the dollar on Tuesday although dealers said the currency would struggle to advance further if economic growth data due at 0930 GMT comes out lower than expected.
The figures are expected to show GDP growth quickened to 1.8 percent quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter from 1.3 percent in the second quarter.
Data at 0600 GMT showed there was a slight rise in demand for loans, with private sector credit extension rising 5.52 percent year-on-year compared with 5.42 percent in September.
The rand was trading at 8.3204 against the dollar at 0642 GMT, 0.8 percent firmer than Monday's New York close of 8.3875.
Standard Bank said credit demand was "sluggish" and did not bode well for the rand.
The rand is firming for the second day in a row, after hitting a 2-1/2 year low of 8.61 last week.
"Risk seems to be on again today, with Asian markets in the black and commodity prices mostly firmer. This implies further rand strength today - the main risk being a lower-than-expected GDP print," the bank said in a note.
However, it added that any rallies for emerging market assets would be only temporary as long as the euro zone debt crisis remained unresolved.
Government bonds were largely steady ahead of a debt auction whose results will be out after 0900 GMT. Demand at last week's auction was rather muted.
On benchmark bonds, the yield on the 2015 bond was steady at 6.99 percent while that on the 2026 note ticked up one basis point to 8.63 percent.
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