According to the preliminary data released by Statistics South Africa, in January this year the seasonally adjusted index of iron ore mining production in South Africa increased by 6.4 percent, while the country's manganese ore production index decreased by 28.5 percent, both compared to December 2014. On the other hand, in the given month South Africa's nickel production decreased by 16.8 percent month on month.
On year-on-year basis, in January this year South African iron ore production increased by 8.9 percent, manganese ore production increased by 20 percent, while the country's nickel output decreased by 17.1 percent.
Furthermore, the country's seasonally adjusted iron ore sales at current prices in December 2014 decreased by 9.5 percent compared to the previous month, to ZAR 4.14 billion ($334.5 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices increased by 81.9 percent in December compared to November, amounting to ZAR 953.2 million ($77.1 million). South Africa's seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales in December at current prices totaled ZAR 1.5 billion ($115.05 million), up 6.2 percent month on month.
The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in December last year was down 33.6 percent in iron ore sales, increased by 62.5 percent in nickel sales and was up 2.4 percent in manganese ore sales.