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 5.2 percent, while the country’s manganese ore production index rose by 5.9 percent, both month on month. In the given month, South Africa’s nickel production rose by two percent month on month.
On year-on-year basis, in April this year South African iron ore production was up by 149.1 percent, while manganese ore production increased by 208.2 percent. In April, the country’s nickel output rose by 575.6 percent compared to the same month of 2020.
Furthermore, the country’s seasonally adjusted iron ore sales at current prices in April this year fell by 3.4 percent compared to the previous month, to ZAR 11.22 billion ($821.45 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices was down by 20.5 percent in the same month compared to March, amounting to ZAR 579.3 million ($42.44 million). South Africa’s seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales in April at current prices totaled ZAR 2.92 billion ($214.08 million), down by 12.3 percent month on month.
The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in the given month was up by 115.6 percent in iron ore sales, up by 173.7 percent in manganese ore sales and rose by 3,566.5 percent in nickel sales.