According to the preliminary data released by Statistics South Africa, in July this year the seasonally adjusted index of iron ore mining production in South Africa increased by 68 percent, while the country’s manganese ore production index decreased by four percent, both month on month. In the given month, South Africa’s nickel production rose by 28.7 percent month on month.
On year-on-year basis, in July this year South African iron ore production was down by 19 percent, while manganese ore production increased by 1.8 percent. In July, the country's nickel output rose by four percent compared to the same month of 2019.
Furthermore, the country’s seasonally adjusted iron ore sales at current prices in July this year rose by 15.6 percent compared to the previous month, to ZAR 6.89 billion ($411.58 million), while the seasonally adjusted nickel sales value at current prices was up by 72.3 percent in the same month compared to June, amounting to ZAR 622.6 million ($37.2 million). South Africa’s seasonally adjusted manganese ore sales in July at current prices totaled ZAR 3.65 billion ($218.1 million), down by 15.1 percent month on month.
The year-on-year percentage change at current prices in the given month was down by 1.6 percent in iron ore sales, up by 15 percent in manganese ore sales and rose by 28 percent in nickel sales.