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 increased by 5.8 percent, while the country's manganese ore production index fell by 12 percent, both month on month. In the given month, South Africa's nickel production was up by 8.6 percent month on month.
On year-on-year basis, in April this year South African iron ore production increased by 29.9 percent, manganese ore production fell by 1.2 percent, while the country's nickel output was up by 0.1 percent.
Furthermore, the country's seasonally adjusted iron ore sales at current prices in March this year increased by 8.8 percent compared to the previous month, to ZAR 5.15 billion ($393.65 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices was up by 113.9 percent in March compared to February, amounting to ZAR 661 million ($50.51 million). South Africa's seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales in March at current prices totaled ZAR 2.16 billion ($165.49 million), down 5.4 percent month on month.
The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in March was up 39.7 percent in iron ore sales, was down by 1.4 percent in nickel sales and rose by 139.4 percent in manganese ore sales.