COPPER
How Anglo American squandered De Beers’ brand power
- Jeremy Sampson
FERROCHROME
How long before miners call on Eskom for their rebates?
ESKOM will invite the attention of its mining clients in yet stronger terms if it agrees to cut its tariff for Transalloys, the manganese smelting business currently heading for closure. According to a report…
GOLD
Even gold’s biggest backer is hedging its bets
GOLD’S first half of 2026 has been a study in contrasts. The metal set 12 record highs during the first six weeks of the year, peaking at $5,500/oz intraday in late January, before retreating sharply to…
TRANSNET
BEE’s gaming problem, not racism, is driving a backlash
AT the Nedbank Top Empowerment Conference in Sandton last month, trade, industry & competition minister Parks Tau addressed the criticism that broad-based BEE (BBBEE) has “failed” because huge “gaps” remain.…
INFLATION
When it comes to gold, look past the obvious
EVERYBODY is asking me about gold. Specifically, why isn’t gold running higher? It started the year at $4,300 and went on a mad rush to a peak of $5,600 in late January. In dollars, gold is up 33.5% over the…
GOLD PRODUCTION
Why Pan African has outshone its golden rivals
TO paraphrase Warren Buffett, superior long-term wealth is often built by owning the goose that lays the golden eggs, rather than the golden egg itself. Pan African Resources has been a golden goose for Allan…
ENERGY
Afrimat is a victim of failed industrial policy in SA
AFRIMAT is one of those companies that is surviving despite the chaos of industrial policy. But how long can these companies remain afloat? Afrimat’s recently published full-year results look, at first blush,…
SOUTH AFRICA
Comrade Gwede, BEE isn’t worth the scrap paper it was written on
THE mining industry is waiting apprehensively for the chairperson of the African National Cosa Nostra and sometimes minerals and petroleum Minister, Comrade Gwede, to gazette another round of BEE for the…
SOUTH AFRICA
Can SA take Govt’s $121bn trains strategy seriously?
LATE last month, South Africa’s department of transport released for public comment its draft national master plan to revitalise, modernise and expand South Africa’s rail system, covering freight rail,…
INFLATION
Will BHP really bet on South African mining again?
SOUTH African mining is at one of those rare moments when its trajectory could tilt either way. There is talk of hope and renewal, encompassing an overdue honesty about Eskom and Transnet, the glimmers of…
ZAMBIA
Transnet reform critical if SA wants role in SADC metals flow
THE century-old Benguela railway is back in business. Running from the copper belt of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Zambia to Angola’s deep-water port of Lobito, it is emerging as one of…
ESKOM
Ferrochrome: Eskom opts for less revenue than none at all
ESKOM has opted for less revenue from South Africa’s ferrochrome producers rather than no revenue at all. For a company that now generates more electricity than it can sell, that makes sense, even if it’s…
CORRUPTION
Policy failures blight South Africa’s mineral wealth
THE Fraser Institute’s 2025 Annual Survey of Mining Companies, a global dipstick of investor sentiments towards mining jurisdictions, has once again highlighted South Africa’s mineral potential. But it also…
SOUTH AFRICA
Oil shock splits gold and bitcoin’s paths
OIL is the big story at the moment, but the real signal is in how markets are choosing their safe haven. Since the US launched Operation Epic Fury, its bombing against Iran that began on February 28, Brent…
PLATINUM
Why Patrice Motsepe had to step down as ARM’s executive chair
THE recent Sens announcement by African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) that founder Patrice Motsepe has relinquished his position as executive chair and is retiring as an employee of the company has sparked much…
SOUTH AFRICA
BHP unveils collaboration with Govt on minerals data
THERE is a definite air of forward momentum in South Africa’s much ignored minerals exploration sector. On the back of a R600m commitment from Anglo American (Anglo-Teck when it’s formed) and a new R1.35bn…