South African wool prices reached new high at this week's national sale due to good demand coming from the Chinese and European markets, Cape Wools said on Wednesday.

Cape Wools' Merino indicator gained 2.3-percent to close the day at R118.30/kg (clean). This is a 16-percent increase on the opening sale and is up 5.2-percent on the corresponding sale last year said, spokeswoman Lizelle Delport

Delport said wool receipts were up six percent compared with the corresponding period last season.

Brokers speculate the increase to be mainly due to a change in flow pattern of wool received as opposed to an increase in wool production.

Delport said that traders supported the 20-micron and finer types very well, with the average price for good top making types of 20-microns and finer.

The 20-microns fleece category gained 4.8-percent during the sale.

Major buyers were Standard Wool (3906), Lempriere (3673), Stucken & Co (2951), Modiano (2824) and Segard Masurel (1511).

The next sale was scheduled for January 29, when approximately 11,000 bales would be on offer.

The Australian market also increased by 2.1-percent