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 13.2 percent, while the country's manganese ore production index fell by 3.7 percent, both month on month. In the given month, South Africa's nickel production was down by 15.4 percent month on month.
On year-on-year basis, in January this year South African iron ore production decreased by 26.3 percent, manganese ore production fell by 8.9 percent, while the country's nickel output rose by 5.5 percent.
Furthermore, the country's seasonally adjusted iron ore sales at current prices in December increased by 10.6 percent compared to the previous month, to ZAR 3.07 billion ($200.96 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices was up by 28.5 percent in December compared to November, amounting to ZAR 741.8 million ($48.5 million). South Africa's seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales in December at current prices totaled ZAR 907.2 million ($59.4 million), up 66.1 percent month on month.
The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in December last year was down 25.7 percent in iron ore sales, was down by 22.2 percent in nickel sales and declined by 44.1 percent in manganese ore sales.