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 9.5 percent, while the country's manganese ore production index rose by 1.6 percent, both month on month. In the given month, South Africa's nickel production was up by 3.8 percent month on month.
On year-on-year basis, in April this year South African iron ore production decreased by 3.6 percent, while manganese ore production was down by 1.8 percent. In April this year, the country's nickel output fell by 17.5 percent compared to the same month of 2017.
Furthermore, the country's seasonally adjusted iron ore sales at current prices in April this year increased by 1.2 percent compared to the previous month, to ZAR 3.79 billion ($276.07 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices was down by 46.3 percent in April compared to March, amounting to ZAR 344.7 million ($25.1 million). South Africa's seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales in April at current prices totaled ZAR 3.62 billion ($263.72 million), down two percent month on month.
The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in April was up by 12.3 percent in iron ore sales, declined by 33 percent in nickel sales and rose by 116.5 percent in manganese ore sales.