Share prices on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) closed weaker on Wednesday as commodity share prices dropped.

Petrochemicals maker Sasol's share price edged lower, pulling down the local bourse. The company's stock tumbled more than 6 percent, and more than 1.8 million shares were sold.

The all share index was 0.26 percent lower at 55,869.46 points, while the top 40 index was 0.35 percent softer at 49,575.88 points.

The Industrial index was 0.27 percent lower but the financial index gained 0.16 percent. The resources index was 0.79 percent lower and the gold index was 0.8 percent up.

In individual stocks on the JSE, Sasol was off 6.4 percent to R373, Assore dropped 2.62 percent to R261 and Anglo American Platinum lost 1.09 percent to R346.39.

Headline inflation rose at an annual rate of 4.8 percent in August, from 4.6 percent in July, according to Statistics SA figures.

Among the industrial shares, Naspers lost 0.09 percent to 2972.44, and Imperial lifted 2.33 percent to R194.01.

The two biggest mobile operators were both higher. Vodacom gained 1.67 percent to R160.07 and MTN was 0.98 percent firmer at R123.72.

Barclays Africa was 2.53 percent higher at R131.34, but Standard Bank gained 1.36 percent to R163.42. FirstRand gained 0.33 percent to R54.42.