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 8.5 percent, while the country's manganese ore production index increased by 1.9 percent, both compared to December. On the other hand, in the given month South Africa's nickel production index increased by 1.4 percent month on month.
On year-on-year basis, in January this year South African iron ore production rose 11.7 percent, manganese ore production increased by 25.5 percent, while the country's nickel output expanded by 27.4 percent.
Furthermore, the country's seasonally adjusted iron ore sales at current prices in December last year increased by 6.3 percent compared to the previous month, to ZAR 6.06 billion ($565.68 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices decreased by 20.5 percent in December compared to November, amounting to ZAR 593.90 million ($55.41 million). South Africa's seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales in December at current prices totaled ZAR 962.8 million ($89.83 million), down 17.6 percent month on month.
The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in December last year was up 37.4 percent in iron ore sales, up 37.1 percent in nickel sales and down 2.8 percent in manganese ore sales.