South Africa's manufacturing, mining output fall but recovery expected

South Africa's manufacturing and mining output fell in December, data showed on Thursday, but a recovery is expected this year as business confidence picks up and commodity prices rise. Africa's most industrialised economy is struggling to attract investment, with sentiment dimmed by political uncertainty, weak growth that has hit consumer activity, as well as the looming threat of credit downgrades to junk. Manufacturing output fell by 2 percent year-on-year in December after expanding by 2 per