South African Business 2017 edition

OVERVIEW
Mining
South Africa has vast mineral reserves and excellent infrastructure.
South Africa has huge reserves of platinum and chrome and
produces about 40% of the world’s vanadium and vermiculite.
The country has large reserves of ilmenite, palladium,
rutile and zirconium and 80% of the world’s known manganese
reserves are located in the Northern Cape Province. South Africa
no longer enjoys world dominance in gold production – both China
and the US produce more ounces – but it does produce 75% of the
world’s platinum and 73% of its chrome.
Coal and platinum group metals (PGMs) have overtaken gold as
the minerals generating the biggest sales volumes. Coal, iron ore,
gold and platinum group metals (PGMs) collectively make up 80% of
South Africa's mineral sales.
South Africa is the second-largest exporter of steam coal in the
world and is the number-one producer of andalusite. The Witbank
coal fields of Mpumalanga are the most productive in Africa and the
province lies at the southern end of the eastern limb of the Bushveld
Igneous Complex. With mines in Mpumalanga reaching the end of
SECTOR INSIGHT
The iconic Anglo American
has announced that it will, in
future, only focus on three
minerals.
their lives, the coal reserves of the
Waterberg region in Limpopo are
attracting attention. The ferroalloy
industry is centred on the
town of Middelburg. Nkomati
Mine is South Africa's only purenickel
operation.
After a very tough period for
gold producers, the recovery of
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