According to the preliminary data released by Statistics South Africa, in August this year the seasonally adjusted index of iron ore mining production in South Africa decreased by 13.5 percent, while the country’s manganese ore production index fell by 22.1 percent, both month on month. In the given month, South Africa’s nickel production rose by 4.1 percent month on month.
On year-on-year basis, in August this year South African iron ore production was up by 22.9 percent, while manganese ore production decreased by 9.7 percent. In August, the country’s nickel output fell by 28.1 percent compared to the same month of 2020.
Furthermore, the country’s seasonally adjusted iron ore sales at current prices in August this year fell by 16.9 percent compared to the previous month, to ZAR 9.67 billion ($647.31 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices was up by 536.7 percent in the same month compared to July, amounting to ZAR 780.7 million ($52.24 million). South Africa’s seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales in August at current prices totaled ZAR 3.28 billion ($219.82 million), up by 7.1 percent month on month.
The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in the given month was up by 15.0 percent in iron ore sales, up by 5.9 percent in manganese ore sales and rose by 37.5 percent in nickel sales.