South Africa’s mining production increased by 8.2% year-on-year in April, with the largest positive contributions made by platinum group metals (PGMs), manganese ore and chromium ore and the largest negative contribution made by coal.
PGM output was up 36.5%, contributing 8.8 percentage points; manganese ore by 19%, contributing 1.3 percentage points; and chromium ore by 17.5%, contributing 1.1 percentage point.
Coal production decreased by 5.8% and contributed -1.5 percentage points.
Further, seasonally adjusted mining production increased by 3.3% month-on-month in April. This followed month-on-month changes of -4.8% in March and 3% in February.
Seasonally adjusted mining production increased by 2.4% in the three months ended April, compared with the previous three months. The largest positive contributors were PGMs (10.2% and contributing 2.8 percentage points) and gold (8.6% and contributing 0.8 of a percentage point).
Coal (-2.6% and contributing -0.6 of a percentage point) and ‘other’ metallic minerals (-15% and contributing -0.4 of a percentage point) were the largest negative contributors.
Meanwhile, mineral sales at current prices increased by 30.3% year-on-year in April, with PGMs, gold, chromium ore and coal making the largest positive contributions.
PGM sales increased by 120.3%, contributing 22.4 percentage points; gold by 12.2%, contributing 3.1 percentage points; chromium ore by 34.8%, contributing 2.7 percentage points; and coal by 8.1%, contributing 1.8 percentage points.
Seasonally adjusted mineral sales at current prices increased by 3.1% month-on-month in April. This followed month-on-month changes of -8.1% in March and 9.2% in February.
Seasonally adjusted mineral sales at current prices increased by 4.9% in the three months ended April, compared with the previous three months. Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
