According to the preliminary data released by Statistics South Africa, in April this year the seasonally adjusted index of iron ore mining production in South Africa decreased by 4.2 percent, while the country's manganese ore production index rose by 3.6 percent, both month on month. In the given month, South Africa's nickel production was up by 6.3 percent month on month.
On year-on-year basis, in April this year South African iron ore production decreased by 23.4 percent, manganese ore production fell by 11.4 percent, while the country's nickel output was up by 4.9 percent.
Furthermore, the country's seasonally adjusted iron ore sales at current prices in March increased by 37.2 percent compared to the previous month, to ZAR 3.68 billion ($248.3 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices was up by 13.3 percent in March compared to February, amounting to ZAR 670.7 million ($45.2 million). South Africa's seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales in March at current prices totaled ZAR 816.5 million ($55.01 million), down 2.7 percent month on month.
The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in March this year was up 2.6 percent in iron ore sales, was up by five percent in nickel sales and declined by 25.2 percent in manganese ore sales.