Mpumalanga Business 2021-22

OVERVIEW
Resources in 2019 but in 2021 also agreed to make $250-million
available to enable Seriti to restructure some of the coal assets and
to rehabilitate others.
Afrimat is listed on the JSE in the “Construction and Building
Materials” section, but the company has shown an appetite for
acquiring mines in order to diversify.
In May 2020 Afrimat made a bid for control of Unicorn Capital
Partners (previously Sentula Mining) which controls the Nkomati
Anthracite mine in Mpumalanga. The mine, which is in the southeastern
corner of the province, has proven resources of 8.7-million
tons and upwards of 400 jobs were created over the last two years.
Local communities have a 16.1% stake in the re-launched mine and
the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA) holds 34%.
Platinum
Platinum is an important mineral for the modern economy. Two
Rivers is a joint venture between Implats (46%) and African Rainbow
Minerals which is located on the southern part of the eastern limb
of the Bushveld Igneous Complex, 35km south-west of Burgersfort
in Mpumalanga.
Northam Platinum, which has assets on both limbs of the
Bushveld Igneous Complex, has purchased the Everest mine
from Aquarius Platinum. Everest is adjacent to Northam’s existing
Booysendal mine.
Jubilee Platinum has sold its Smelting and Refining business
in Middelburg to Siyanda Resources. Sylvania Platinum now has
seven PGM recovery plants that extract chrome from tailings on
both sides of the Bushveld Igneous Complex.
Lydenburg is home to the Lion ferrochrome smelter that is a
joint venture between Glencore and Merafe Resources. Assmang,
the joint venture between ARM Ferrous and the JSE-listed Assore,
operates a chrome mine (Dwarsrivier) and a ferrochrome plant
where chrome alloys are made.
Training
Most of the province’s mining companies are involved in training.
The Colliery Training College (CTC) in Emalahleni is owned by
ONLINE RESOURCES
Colliery Training College: www.ctctraining.org
Minerals Council South Africa: www.mineralscouncil.org.za
National Department of Mineral Resources: www.dmr.gov.za
South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: www.saimm.co.za
a consortium of companies:
Exxaro, Glencore, Kangra Coal,
South32 and Izimbiwa Coal. The
centre offers a broad range of
artisan training, including auto
electrician, fitting and turning
and millwrights. CTC has been
recognised as a leader in artisan
training by the National Skills
Authority.
Coal giant Exxaro, which
runs five mines in the province,
has committed R3.8-billion to
its Belfast project, an investment
that will create 1 160 jobs and
have an impact on the GDP (over
the life of the mine) of R39-billion.
After Exxaro Coal
Mpumalanga’s transfer of its
50% stake in the Arnot coal
mine to mineworkers at no cost,
the workers received a further
5% “free-carry” because of the
specifications of Mining Charter
III. The mine thus becomes South
Africa’s first majority workerowned
mine. Wescoal is the
other shareholder and operator
of the mine.
The opening in April 2019
of Sasol’s Impumelelo Colliery
south-west of Secunda was the
final phase of an investment in
new coal mines to replace three
coal mines that had reached the
end of their lives. Sasol produces
40-million tons of coal annually.
Impumelelo, which will produce
8.5-million tons per year, cost
R5.6-billion to build.
State coal company AEMFC
(African Exploration Mining &
Finance Corporation) runs a
colliery at Vlakfontein near Ogies
and is planning to develop
other projects. South32 has four
collieries and three processing
plants in the province. ■
33 MPUMALANGA BUSINESS 2021/22