South Africa stocks book record close

* Top-40 index up 0.27 pct to 30,446.28

* All-Share up 0.24 pct to 34,482.43

JOHANNESBURG May 2 (Reuters) - South Africa's broad All-share index closed at a record high on Thursday, as improving Chinese manufacturing data boosted appetite for Johannesburg-listed resource firms such as BHP Billiton .

But a fall in global platinum spot prices knocked producers such as Anglo American Platinum, which shed nearly 2 percent to 494 rand.

Traders said they expected further gains ahead, but that market players will also be keeping an eye on U.S. job market figures due to be released on Friday.

"The markets will still get better until Friday. There is another employment report from the U.S. and the guys will look at that one," said Malcom Moller, a trader at Vunani.

The All-share index added 0.24 percent to 34,482.43, its highest finish in its 17-year history. It also touched a new record high of 34,647.73.

The benchmark Top-40 index gained 0.27 percent to 30,446.28.

Shares of top global miner BHP Billiton added 2 percent to 253.18 rand in Johannesburg while diversified miner Exxaro gained 0.8 percent to 208.61 rand.

"There was some Chinese manufacturing data this morning, which was much better than expected which helped the commodities," said Lyon Van Rensburg, a trader with PSG Securities.

China's manufacturing sector showed fresh signs of bottoming out in April, with export orders ticking up, a private sector survey showed on Wednesday.

Spot platinum was down $10 an ounce to $1,557.44 at 1510 GMT, dragging down producers in South Africa. Impala Platinum, the world's No.2 miner of the metal, fell 1.7 percent to 148.76 rand.

Trade picked up slightly on Wednesday to a total of 172 million shares, according to preliminary statistics by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. A total 148 companies advanced, outpacing 127 decliners. (Reporting By Tebogo Mahlaela; editing by Helen Nyambura-Mwaura and David Dolan)