Mining cost inflation eases in July, but energy risks linger
SOUTH African mining input cost inflation slowed in July, but high fuel and other energy-linked costs still weighed on the sector. The Minerals Council South Africa said its…
Why, this time, ARM thinks Bokoni Platinum will fly
THE new development plan for African Rainbow Minerals’ Bokoni Platinum Mine amounts to a “completely different business proposition,” according to ARM COO, Jacques van der Bijl.…
War inflation spells trouble for SA gold miners like Gold Fields
MARKET volatility caused by the US-Iran war hindered Gold Fields from buying back shares in terms of a $100m capital return programme unveiled in February, the company said on…
Valterra normalizes quarterly production after last year’s flooding
VALTERRA Platinum’s first quarter production benefited from comparisons with a year ago, when its second biggest mine, Amandelbult, was hit by flooding. The numbers also…
Kenmare’s year of prices, politics and pain
MOZAMBIQUE is having a moment, and not in a good way. Fresh from the divestment of Australian miner South32 following the forced closure of aluminium smelter Mozal near Maputo,…
Harmony Gold declares record interim payout after upgrade
HARMONY Gold today unveiled a major upgrade in its dividend policy in which it will pay up to 50% of net free cash provided debt is at manageable levels. The miner kicked off a…
Patrice Motsepe steps down as executive chair of ARM
PATRICE Motsepe has relinquished executive duties on the board of African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), the R46bn diversified mining group he helped found in 2002. Citing compliance…
Minerals Council says no respite from energy cost inflation
SOUTH Africa’s mining sector is set for continued high energy inflation despite improved performance from state-owned entities, the Minerals Council said following the…
Why Tharisa could be worth double its market value
THE irony of the government’s proposed chrome tax, aimed at encouraging local beneficiation of minerals, is that it punishes companies that do most to beneficiate. Platinum is…
Mark Bristow in shock departure from Barrick Mining
MARK Bristow has stepped down as CEO Barrick Mining Corp. with immediate effect, the Toronto-listed company announced on Monday. He will replaced by Mark Hill, head of Barrick’s…
Glencore-Merafe may cut thousands of jobs at idled ferrochrome facilities
THOUSANDS of jobs will be affected in terms of a restructuring announced by the Glencore-Merafe Joint Venture, South Africa’s largest ferrochrome producer. Merafe Resources said…
Harmony gets its financial ducks in a row
HARMONY pushed its net cash position up 285% to R11.1bn in the year to end-June giving it a total available liquidity of nearly R21bn which positions the group well for the…
Northam Platinum wary on metal price recovery
NORTHAM Platinum has poured cold water on current buoyant conditions in the platinum market where the platinum price has jumped more than 30% in recent months while platinum…
Can South Africa save its minerals exploration sector?
Last year, a South African government-backed fund invited applications from would-be junior miners, hoping to find that the country’s mineral exploration business was not…
Gold miners have bridged the discount to bullion, for now
GOLD shares have lagged the metal’s price for the past decade, especially since Covid, but recent performances have shown equities have caught up. The $1.6bn VanEck Gold Miners…
Why 2025 is a window of possibility for JSE’s gold miners
SOUTH African gold producer margins are at record levels, which is normally the cue for a commensurate margin-damaging increase in unit costs. But perhaps not this time, argues…
Northam declares interim dividend despite cash outflow
NORTHAM Platinum Holdings said on Friday it would pay an interim dividend despite a heavy decline in earnings and tripling in net debt to R6.1bn. The platinum group metals (PGM)…
If gold’s rise is here to stay why are its biggest miners so pedestrian?
SHARES in Gold Fields have traded disappointingly so far this year, up barely 5% and only 13% higher in the past 12 months against record dollar gold pricing. In this regard,…
Time to let out the handbrake on platinum group metals?
The JSE’s four largest platinum miners cut nearly R30bn in planned capital and stay-in-business expenditure in February in a clear vote that the metal’s price, and those of its…
‘A very bloody picture’. Why Northam is downbeat on PGMs
TWO years ago things were looking so good for the platinum sector that Impala Platinum (Implats) and Northam Platinum got into a corporate brawl over ownership of Royal Bafokeng…