According to the preliminary data released by Statistics South Africa, in October this year the country's mining production decreased by 7.7 percent year on year, while the seasonally adjusted mining production index in October decreased by 7.9 percent compared to September this year, following respective month-on-month decreases of seven percent and 2.4 percent in September and August of the current year.
The seasonally adjusted index of iron ore mining production in October this year decreased by 35.7 percent, while the country's manganese ore production index increased by 7.1 percent, both compared to the previous month of this year. On the other hand, South Africa's nickel production index in the month in question increased by 4.6 percent compared to September this year. On year-on-year basis, South African iron ore production fell by 22.8 percent, while the country's nickel output rose by 91.5 percent in October this year.
Furthermore, the seasonally adjusted iron ore sales value at current prices in September this year decreased by 10.2 percent compared to July, to ZAR 5.1 billion ($661.6 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices increased by 9.8 percent compared to August to ZAR 594 million ($62.6 million). The seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales value in September at current prices was ZAR 1 billion ($134 million), falling 11.2 percent month on month. The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in September this year was down 17.4 percent in iron ore sales, up 52.1 percent in nickel sales and down 8.3 percent in manganese ore sales.