JOHANNESBURG, May 9 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's manufacturing production, one of the country's pillar industries, contracted in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, dragged down by the production of motor vehicles, iron and steel, as well as related products, official data showed on Thursday.

In Q1, seasonally adjusted manufacturing production decreased by one percent compared with the fourth quarter last year, with five of the 10 manufacturing divisions reporting negative growth over the period, according to data released by Statistics South Africa.

The production of motor vehicles, parts and accessories, and other transport equipment declined by 14.9 percent in Q1, while that of iron and steel, metal products and machinery dropped by 3.1 percent, the data showed.

In March alone, the country's manufacturing production decreased by 6.4 percent year on year, with the production of motor vehicles, parts and accessories, and other transport equipment down by 25.9 percent.

Seasonally adjusted manufacturing sales increased by 0.1 percent in Q1, with the largest positive contributors being the sales of food and beverages, as well as petroleum and chemical products, according to the data. Enditem

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