JOHANNESBURG: South Africa's trade deficit widened more than expected to 6.88 billion rand ($648 million) in July, from a 190 million rand shortfall in June, data from the South African Revenue Service showed on Friday.

Economists had expected a 3.2 billion rand gap, but the number is volatile and hard to forecast. Exports rose 6.8 percent to 85.37 billion rand and imports increased 14.7 percent to 92.26 billion rand.

The data brings the cumulative deficit for the year to 55.49 billion rand, compared with -41.11 billion rand over the same period in 2013.