Three years of giving junior mining a voice
On 12 September 2023, a significant new chapter was written in South Africa’s mining industry at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The launch of the Junior Mining Council…
Transnet targets leap in coal exports despite cash squeeze
TRANSNET has targeted 65 million tons (Mt) in delivered coal exports after another year of rail volume growth, but debt and weak cash generation have put a brake on its ambition.…
Gold rally lifts West African Resources’ royalty bill
WEST African Resources (WAF) is facing a heavier government and regulatory burden in Burkina Faso, where it operates the Sanbrado and Kiaka gold mines. The Australian-listed…
Harmony reports fatality at Moab Khotsong
HARMONY Gold said an employee was killed in a seismic incident at its Moab Khotsong mine near Orkney on Sunday. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) is…
Implats caps top year for platinum with R8.7bn special payout
THE impact of surging platinum group metal (PGM) prices was for all to see in Impala Platinum’s (Implats’) year-end numbers, which it capped with a special final dividend of…
CAR orders shutdown of informal gold mine after deaths
CENTRAL African Republic authorities have ordered the closure of an artisanal gold mine near the border with Cameroon after a collapse killed at least 49 people, Reuters…
DRDGold won’t rush Withok as tailings project slips to 2029
DRDGOLD is giving itself more time to develop its Withok tailings storage facility, saying the long-term importance and complexity of the project mean it cannot afford to rush…
Tailings spill at Samancor’s Dikwena hits Eland Mine
A tailings storage facility incident at Samancor Chrome’s Dikwena operation near Brits sent a large volume of muddy material towards neighbouring Eland Mine’s Maroelabult shaft…
Metals of war: why US Govt has weaponised mining
Eighteen mining companies went public in the past 12 months with one aim in common: an ambition to supply the US government’s defence industry. Assisted by US President Donald…
Congo probes uranium in cobalt exports
THE Democratic Republic of Congo has opened an investigation into uranium contamination found in cobalt shipments amid mounting pressure over the amount of the radioactive…
DRDGold needs SA’s dilatory Govt to play ball. Will it?
THE mining of surface gold dumps ought to be much simpler than underground mining. Instead of descending into the earth’s depths, which poses challenges from ventilation to…
Implats suspends Rustenburg shafts for week-long safety reset
IMPALA Platinum (Implats) suspended production at its Rustenburg shafts on Friday for five days in order to conduct a “safety reset” following two underground fatalities this…
Gold Fields seals 5-year wage deal with unions at South Deep
GOLD Fields’ South Deep mine agreed a five-year wage deal with unions on Friday, the JSE-listed miner said in an announcement. Running from March to end-February 2030, the…
Islamist militants widen reach in Sahel mining zones
ISLAMIST militant groups are extending their footprint across central West Africa’s mining belt, contesting territory with governments and stoking fears over the safety of mining…
Thungela ices M&A to focus on “market confidence”
THUNGELA Resources has taken its foot off the diversification pedal telling analysts and investors last week that it was focusing on improving operational performance. “Our main…
Iron ore heads for first monthly loss since February
IRON ore is on course for its first monthly decline since February as a brief rally sparked by a fatal coking coal mine explosion in China’s Shanxi province lost momentum,…
Glencore, BHP may benefit as China turns to Western coal
THE fatal gas explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in China’s Shanxi province last week could see improved demand for Australian and Canadian metallurgical coal, potentially…
NextSource closes in on Abu Dhabi plant funding
NEXTSOURCE CEO Hanré Rossouw said his company wouldn’t jump “head first” into building its proposed battery anode factory in Abu Dhabi given geopolitical tensions in the Middle…
Harmony Gold rapidly returns to net cash after dealmaking
HARMONY Gold reversed its net debt position by almost R7bn year in the third quarter of its 2026 financial year, as the surging gold price boosted free cash flows of South…
Kazzinc blast may complicate Glencore sale
AN EXPLOSION at Glencore’s Kazzinc zinc smelter in Kazakhstan has killed two workers and injured five others, and has cast doubt over the Swiss miner’s efforts to divest its 70%…