At 0640 GMT, the rand was down 0.28% at 14.1275 per dollar from a close of 14.0875 overnight, retreating from a brief run towards the 14.05 resistance level in low volume trade marked mainly by offshore demand.

The dollar was also sluggish, slipping from two-week high as hopes faded for a quick trade deal between Washington and Beijing.

"The rand is really showing little sign that potentially strong weakness is on the horizon. Of course, one can't plan for a black swan event,"  Warrick Butler, Standard Bank's chief trader, said in a note.

Before non-farm payrolls from the United States on Friday, local purchasing managers and business confidence measures due.

Bonds were flat, with the benchmark 10-year government issue  steady at 8.15%.

In equities, open-pit mining company Afrimat said it had withdrawn its offer to buy Australian-listed Universal Coal plc, given the size and complexity of the transaction.