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Toronto- and New York-listed Platinum Group Metals, the near-term objectives of which are to advance the Waterberg project in Limpopo to a development and construction decision, is working with the South African government to analyse the possibility of exporting platinum group metals (PGM) concentrate. An initial trade-off study has been completed to determine the viability of exporting the concentrate from South Africa to Saudi Arabia and a key requirement would be to secure a long-term permit for the export from South Africa of unrefined precious metals in concentrate, the company stated in its third-quarter results report on Thursday.

Council for Geoscience (CGS) CEO Mosa Mabuza and Geoscientific Services executive manager Siphelele Buthelezi this week officially reopened the National Geoscientific Library (NGL). Closed to the public since August 2022, the NGL has undergone extensive renovations, which included refurbishing 40-year-old shelves and buying new furniture.

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has reported that seasonally adjusted total mining production declined by 0.6% month-on-month in May. This follows a 0.8% month-on-month rise in April. In level terms, Minerals Council South Africa notes, real mining output remains well below the peak so far in 2024, attained in February. Because of this, and even assuming some recovery in the June output figures, mining production looks set for a quarterly decline in the second quarter.

The South African mining industry continues to be a key contributor to the fiscus, with local producers and suppliers paying about R14-billion in royalties and R90-billion in taxes in the year ended December 31, 2023, and investing billions of rands in environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. In its integrated annual review for the year, Minerals Council South Africa CEO Mzila Mthenjane says mining stakeholders continue to strive for meaningful impact in the lives of employees and communities in South Africa, particularly as the country grapples with low economic growth and unemployment.

For 30 years, 800 people at the now defunct Chamber of Mines Research Organisation (COMRO) devoted intense ongoing effort to research and development to advance mining in general and gold mining in particular. However, during a period of very tight gold-price constraint, COMRO ceased to function in the form it had for three decades, at a time when a promising portable X-ray fluorescence instrument – a portable gold analyser – was entering the final stretch of its developmental journey.

The European Union (EU) is one of the first regions to establish a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) scheme, with the current requirement that companies report on the total carbon footprint of products imported into the EU. The six products currently being subjected to the CBAM requirements are iron, steel, fertiliser, aluminium, cement and electricity and many developing countries, including South Africa, view CBAM as a non-tariff barrier to trade, speakers noted during a webinar hosted by Creamer Media on July 10.

Mining production was flat in May, compared with May 2023. Statistics South Africa reports that the main positive contributors were coal and chromium ore, while gold and platinum group metals (PGMs) were the main negative contributors. Seasonally adjusted mining production decreased by 0.6% month-on-month in May. This followed month-on-month changes of 0.8% in April and -4.1% in March.

Multinational mining and metals processing company Sibanye-Stillwater says it has experienced a cyberattack that has affected its IT systems globally. In a media release dated July 11, the company says that, as soon as it became aware of the incident, immediate containment measures were implemented in line with its incident response plan, to proactively isolate IT systems and safeguard data.

While growth in the world economy remains slow, Afriforesight research head Vinesh Chetty has said growth for the full year will likely be positive, noting that research by Afriforesight indicates that there will not be a global recession. In a webinar hosted by Afriforesight, on July 10, titled ‘Cobalt and Copper: African Opportunities’, Chetty explained that the slow growth could be attributed to the wave of inflation, adding that high interest rates often placed more downward pressure on the world economy.

Miner Harmony Gold Mining Company has been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series for the seventh consecutive year. The FTSE4Good Index Series measures the performance of companies that demonstrate specific environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.