THE value of South African mineral sales rose by over 25% in the third quarter, with higher contributions from platinum, coal and gold, official figures showed this week. Statistics South Africa said the value of sales jumped 25.3% to R8.95bn in the three months ended September 30, compared with the same three-month period a year ago. The value of platinum sales rose 87.7% during the period, while coal sales posted a 16.6% rise. Overall, non-gold mineral sales climbed 31.9% to R6.71bn. Gold mineral sales were up 10.2% at R2.24bn. South Africa’s total mining output rose by a seasonally adjusted 2.2% in the three months ended October 31, compared with the previous quarter to July 30. – Reuters