Kumba opens contract talks with Transnet amid uncertainty
KUMBA Iron Ore may need more capacity on Transnet’s Sishen to Saldanha Bay railway, but where volume isn’t in shortage is in complexity. Not, at least, when it comes to running a…
Kumba hails “stabilisation” of Transnet logistics chain
KUMBA Iron Ore CEO Mpumi Zikalala on Tuesday said there were signs of a “stabilisation” in the performance of Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), the South African government’s ports…
Kumba says concession of rail network possible in 18 months
KUMBA Iron Ore hopes to participate in industry efforts to have the Sishen to Saldanha iron ore and manganese rail route concessioned to a third party over the next 18 months.…
Derailments knock Kumba despite 15 day maintenance
RAIL derailments on the Sishen to Saldanha railway contributed towards an 8% decline in fourth quarter iron ore deliveries, said Kumba Iron Ore. Commenting in a fourth quarter…
Afrimat says iron ore export volumes down 20%
RAILED iron ore export volumes had fallen about fifth in the first six months of Afrimat’s 2025 financial year compared to the same period last year. The mining and industrial…
Kumba guidance threatened as on-mine stocks grow 0.9Mt
STOCKS of iron ore increased nearly one million tons at Kumba Iron Ore mines in the first six months of this year as state-owned rail and ports company Transnet continued to…
Thungela targets 50% increase from Ensham coal mine
THUNGELA Resources is hoping to increase production from a mine it bought in Australia last year by as much as a quarter. If it achieves this stretch target, the JSE-listed coal…
Thungela forecasts up to 69% earnings hit as coal prices soften
THUNGELA Resources forecast a heavy decline in share earnings for the first half of its financial year owing to lower-than-expected winter energy demand from Europe and Asia…
TFR forecasts 48Mt coal deliveries for 2023/24 financial year
TRANSNET last week forecast railed export coal to Richards Bay of 48 million tons (Mt) for the 12 months ended March 31 compared to its target of 60Mt. However, the state-owned…
Thungela shuns share buy-back in favour of project growth
SOUTH African coal miner Thungela Resources will not embark on a share buy-back soon, despite having received a thumbs up from shareholders at its AGM in March this year. “We…
Exxaro continues to build up cash ahead of decisions on diversification
Exxaro revenues and profits took a beating in the six months to end-June as expected but the group remains in good shape overall thanks in no small part to its tight-fisted…
Wanblad says Kumba to be “reconfigured” as Transnet rail fail expected to persist
KUMBA Iron Ore would be “reconfigured in the short-term” to account for export bottlenecks, said Duncan Wanblad, CEO of Anglo American which owns 70% of the South African…
Kumba pays generous dividend even as iron ore market contracts, costs increase
KUMBA Iron Ore is to pay 75% of interim earnings in a dividend of R22.30/share (R7.3bn) despite volatile market conditions, difficulties with the logistics chain, and cost…
Kumba cuts sales, reins-in capex by R2bn as rail issues hurt iron ore deliveries
KUMBA Iron Ore cut mineral sales and reined in capital expenditure R2bn owing to lower railed product to Saldanha port for the six months ended June. The Anglo American…
SA coal involved in ‘economic war’ following latest spate of truck attacks
MOST of the trucks attacked on South Africa’s roads during the week were carrying coal to the nation’s harbours, said Bloomberg News. Citing police minister Bheki Cele, the…
Minerals Council hopes new Transnet board will “establish a relationship” with sector
SOUTH Africa’s mining sector welcomed the overhaul of state-owned rail and ports company Transnet’s board announced on Tuesday in which former Anglo American SA executive head,…
Cash a burning question for SA coal miners Thungela and Exxaro
IT’S sometimes said that the biggest challenge for executives is not how they cope in the hard times, but how well they allocate cash when times are good. That may be a theme…
Exxaro books another six months of logistical constraint with coal sales down 7%
ANOTHER stuttering performance from state-owned entities Eskom and Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) in the first half of 2023 has capped the ability of Exxaro, one of South Africa’s…
TFR reports new derailment on iron ore line
A NEW derailment on the Sishen-Saldanha rail route is preventing deliveries of iron ore for export, said Transnet’s freight rail business unit (TFR). “TFR confirms that urgent…
Thungela says dividends “sacrosanct” despite coal price fall, wobbly TFR performance
THUNGELA Resources said dividends were “sacrosanct” amid a deterioration in operating conditions including a decline in the performance of Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and lower…