According to the preliminary data released by Statistics South Africa, in January this year the seasonally adjusted index of iron ore mining production in South Africa decreased by 0.7 percent, while the country's manganese ore production index fell by 2.3 percent, both month on month. In the given month, South Africa's nickel production was down by 7.5 percent month on month.
On year-on-year basis, in January this year South African iron ore production increased by 7.3 percent, manganese ore production rose by 20 percent, while the country's nickel output was down by 21.9 percent.
Furthermore, the country's seasonally adjusted iron ore sales at current prices in December last year increased by 15.5 percent compared to the previous month, to ZAR 5.0 billion ($400.6 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices was up by 10.7 percent in December compared to November, amounting to ZAR 702.3 million ($56.2 million). South Africa's seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales in December at current prices totaled ZAR 3.96 billion ($316.85 million), up 37.7 percent month on month.
The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in December was up 64.7 percent in iron ore sales, was down by 5.3 percent in nickel sales and rose by 317.7 percent in manganese ore sales.