* Sales up 8.7 percent due to inflation and store openings
* Sees no let-up in tough trading
* Special dividend 94 cents
* Shares fall 3.5 percent
(Adds details)
JOHANNESBURG, Nov 19 (Reuters) - South African food and clothing retailer Woolworths posted an 8.7 percent rise in 20-week sales and declared a special dividend, but its stock fell as it forecast lacklustre trading would persist this year.
Shares in Woolworths, which is not connected to the British retailer of the same name, fell as much as 3.5 percent as it reported what investors said was a disappointing 0.4 percent rise in comparable store sales, especially as it was boosted by high inflation levels.
South African consumers have been tightening their belts as they battle inflation of about 13 percent and high interest rates. Worries about looming job cuts has further hit sentiment.
Woolworths, which has been cutting prices in its up-market food division to try and stop its largely middle class customers from shopping at cheaper stores, said it expected tough conditions to persist throughout the year.
"They are getting pricing right now, but obviously it will take a while to change perceptions and the impact is not coming through as investors had hoped," Chief Investment Officer at Gryphon Asset Management Abri du Plessis said.
Woolworths said comparable store sales fell 2.5 percent during the 20 months to Nov. 16 at its clothing and general merchandise unit and 0.8 percent at its food business. The overall 8.7 percent rise was boosted by inflation and the launch of new Country Road stores in Australia.
"The ongoing current economic climate continues to keep the middle and upper income markets served by Woolworths under pressure," the company said in a statement. "The directors do not therefore expect any significant change in trading conditions during the financial year."
The company said it would use proceeds from the sale of a majority stake in its financial services unit to Absa to pay a special dividend of 94 cents per share -- in line with expectations -- and to buy back shares.
Woolworths said the transaction would boost earnings per share (EPS) and forecast a rise of more than 20 percent in the first half.
However the sale would not affect headline EPS, the main profit gauge in South Africa which strips out certain one-off, non-trading and financial items.
The company, South Africa's equivalent of Britain's Marks & Spencer, will issue a further trading update later in the reporting period giving more detailed forecasts for EPS and headline EPS.
Shares in Woolworths were 2.89 percent lower at 11.07 rand by 1350 GMT. (Reporting by Rebecca Harrison; Editing by Serena Chaudhry and Jon Loades-Carter)