According to the preliminary data released by Statistics South Africa, in March this year the seasonally adjusted index of iron ore mining production in South Africa declined by 12.9 percent, while the country's manganese ore production index fell by 12.3 percent, both month on month. In the given month, South Africa's nickel production was up by 27.5 percent month on month.
On year-on-year basis, in March this year South African iron ore production decreased by 8.9 percent, while manganese ore production was down by 11.2 percent. In March this year, the country's nickel output fell by 13.3 percent compared to the same month of 2017.
Furthermore, the country's seasonally adjusted iron ore sales at current prices in March this year decreased by 14.6 percent compared to the previous month, to ZAR 3.6 billion ($285.9 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices was up by 69.1 percent in March compared to February, amounting to ZAR 650.3 million ($51.6 million). South Africa's seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales in March at current prices totaled ZAR 3.70 billion ($293.80 million), up 34 percent month on month.
The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in March declined by 28.2 percent in iron ore sales, was down by 1.4 percent in nickel sales and rose by 70.8 percent in manganese ore sales.