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More than eight in ten, or 81%, of respondents to the 2024 Central Banks Gold Reserves survey said they expect reserve managers to continue to increase their gold holdings in the next 12 months. This data, released by the World Gold Council, reflects the highest confidence level recorded since the survey began in 2019.

Despite high gold prices and two successive years of record central bank purchasing, nearly 30% of central banks plan to add to their own gold reserves within the next year. This trend highlights a persistent favourable view of gold among reserve managers, who see the precious metals as a hedge against political and economic uncertainty.

The completed prefeasibility study (PFS) drilling campaign for the Bengwenyama platinum group metal (PGM) project, on the eastern limb of South Africa’s distinctively endowed Bushveld Complex, is emphasising the robustness of the upper group two (UG2) reef, project developer Southern Palladium reported on Tuesday. An updated mineral resource estimate (MRE) will now follow in the third quarter of this year to facilitate the commencement of mine planning for the PFS.

Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Thungela Resources is poised to spend R3.9-billion worth of capital in South Africa going forward. An estimated R1.3-billion of this capital expenditure (capex) is scheduled to be spent in the next six months and a further R800-million in the final six months of the company’s financial year to end June 2025.

Botswana’s Debswana Diamond Company on Tuesday reported a fatality at its Jwaneng mine following an accident involving a crane and drill rig.

The incident, which took place on Monday, involved an employee of one of Debswana’s contracting companies, it said in a statement. Investigations into the incident are ongoing, Debswana added.

UK-based mineral resources investment company Cluff Africa has signed a term sheet with Zimbabwe sovereign wealth fund, Mutapa Investment Fund, to acquire 45% in the Sandawana mining permits. This agreement marks the conclusion of a due diligence process.

Cluff Africa plans to launch a reverse circulation drilling programme immediately following the final agreement with Mutapa, aiming to define an inferred resource.

S&P Global Ratings does not expect any significant policy shift as a result of South Africa’s government of national unity (GNU) formed following the May 29 elections when the African National Council (ANC) failed to secure an overall majority for the first time since 1994. The ANC’s GNU proposal was opened to all parties and a Statement of Intent outlining principles and basic minimum programme of priorities has been signed by the Democratic Alliance, the Inkatha Freedom Party, and the Patriotic Alliance, with others parties also expected to join.

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s state miner said it will need to approve any acquisition of cobalt producer Chemaf Resources if the new owner wants to take over a key mining permit.

Chemaf put itself up for sale in September and, although it said in March the process was in its “final stage,” a winning bid is yet to be announced. The Trafigura Group-backed firm is trying to build one of the biggest copper-cobalt mines and processing plants in Congo on a permit rented from state-owned Gecamines.

TSX-listed Global Atomic is on the verge of securing financing for the development of the Dasa uranium project in Niger. Among the approaches is a proposed $295-million debt financing led by a US development bank that is progressing towards approval. In addition to debt financing, Global Atomic has received multiple offers for pre-payments on uranium delivery contracts, strategic equity investment, minority joint venture investments at project level and  equity financing from various institutions and private equity firms.

British prosecutors investigating former Glencore employees over bribery allegations said they plan to bring long-awaited criminal charges.

More than 18 months after first revealing that as many as 11 ex-staffers were under investigation, the Serious Fraud Office told a London judge on Monday that it had sought government approval to charge individuals. It’s the first time the agency has committed to press individual criminal convictions following Glencore’s own guilty plea in 2022.

Orano could lose the right to mine uranium at one of the largest deposits in the world by June 19 after Niger rejected the French nuclear company’s plan for developing the asset.

The move comes as Russia’s seeks to take over mining assets in the West African country controlled by the French company, Bloomberg reported on June 3. Niger’s Paris-allied president was overthrown in a coup last July, the latest in a string of military takeovers in the region that has seen strongmen spurn ex-colonial power France and forge closer ties with Moscow.