Max Gebhardt
LAST year’s crash in the rand helped South Africa’s mining houses to report higher returns in the final quarter of 1996, but unless there is a marked improvement in the gold price, the mines could face another round of retrenchments and downsizing.
While the latest round of quarterly results were in line with expectations, analysts suggest the industry is entering a new stage of maturity as management and labour start to tackle the fundamental issues needed to take it into the next century.
Gone are the days of confrontation between management and labour over pay and work practices. Unions are committed to managements goals of improving productivity, and mining-house executives are keeping a tight rein on costs in the face of a volatile gold price.
“The results were pretty much in line with expectations, but it certainly appears that the industry has managed to turn the corner,” said one analyst.
Last year’s crash in the rand and high gold price, in rand terms, gave the industry a much-needed breathing space, say mining analysts. The task now is to tackle productivity as the economy faces a slowdown. The benefits of last year’s bonanza, which boosted the industry’s fourth-quarter results, have now dissipated and there are fears that this year could see retrenchments at the mines and increases in the number of marginal mines from the present six.
“Last year was very much a year of consolidation for the industry,” said Chamber of Mines economist Roger Baxter.
The total amount of gold mined by the industry for 1996 is expected to reach 494 tons (December figures have not yet been officially calculated). By November last year, 450 tons had been mined, down on 1995’s 478 tons.
Analysts feel Randgold achieved the most “pleasurable” result out of the six mining houses, while JCI, very much at the centre of the industry’s attention after its purchase by the African Mining Group, returned the most disappointing results.
Randgold, South Africa’s sixth-largest gold producer, pushed after-tax profits up an impressive 69% to R126,6-million in the October to December period, compared with the previous quarter.
JCI managed a 3,6% increase in its after- tax profits to R132,9-million, admittedly off a very high base. Total working costs jumped 7,8% – a result, says the mining house, of additional underground tonnage milled at its three mines, increased manpower costs following agreements reached with unions to work extra days, partially in return for an extended break for the December holidays, and payment of incentive bonuses to employees.
Gold Fields didn’t win many plaudits for its results, which failed to sparkle even after having come off a weak base in the first three quarters of the year. Gold Fields, the first mining house to produce its results, lifted taxed profits by 21% to R333-million as gold production rose 8% to 22 902kg. The mining house managed to lower its unit working costs to R41 132/kg.
A fragile calm was restored to the mining house’s Driefontein mine, which bore the brunt of union-on-union violence during the third quarter of last year when 48 miners were killed.
Alan Munro, executive director of gold operations, said: “We must continue to increase production without losing control of costs.”
Anglogold gained top marks among analysts for its consistency in performance. South Africa’s premier gold mining house managed to keep a cap on its unit working costs, which were 2% lower, contributing to a 19% increase in operating profit to R744- million for the quarter. These results are in line with the commitments made by Anglogold chairman Bobby Godsell to reduce costs at the group’s mines.
Available profit from the mines rose by 9% to R340,8-million, reflecting a 3% increase in gold production.
Anglovaal’s gold interest, Avgold, the last mining house to declare its results, produced a favourable maiden quarter with profit before tax and exceptional items up 65% to R77-million.