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 increased by 1.5 percent, while the country's manganese ore production index rose by 14 percent, both month on month. In the given month, South Africa's nickel production was up by 11.4 percent month on month.
On year-on-year basis, in March this year South African iron ore production increased by 24.4 percent, manganese ore production rose by 19.3 percent, while the country's nickel output was down by two percent.
Furthermore, the country's seasonally adjusted iron ore sales at current prices in February this year increased by 6.4 percent compared to the previous month, to ZAR 4.73 billion ($359.24 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices was down by 28.5 percent in February compared to January, amounting to ZAR 309.9 million ($23.51 million). South Africa's seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales in February at current prices totaled ZAR 2.29 billion ($173.41 million), down 10.8 percent month on month.
The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in February was up 76.2 percent in iron ore sales, was down by 47.6 percent in nickel sales and rose by 151.5 percent in manganese ore sales.