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 2.4 percent, while the country’s manganese ore production index rose by 7.5 percent, both month on month. In the given month, South Africa’s nickel production rose by 20.1 percent month on month.
On year-on-year basis, in March this year South African iron ore production was up by 47.9 percent, while manganese ore production increased by 29.9 percent. In March, the country’s nickel output rose by 41.5 percent compared to the same month of 2020.
Furthermore, the country’s seasonally adjusted iron ore sales at current prices in March this year rose by 13.5 percent compared to the previous month, to ZAR 10.77 billion ($762.96 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices was down by 44.5 percent in the same month compared to February, amounting to ZAR 728.7 million ($51.61 million). South Africa’s seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales in March at current prices totaled ZAR 3.23 billion ($228.83 million), down by 3.6 percent month on month.
The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in the given month was up by 48.3 percent in iron ore sales, up by 5.4 percent in manganese ore sales and rose by 34.0 percent in nickel sales.
