South African mining output for the three months to August, after seasonal adjustment, reflected an increase of 3,4% compared with the previous three months to May due to a 5% increase in the output of non-gold minerals, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said on Tuesday.
The main contributors to the seasonally adjusted increase of 5% in the production of non-gold minerals were platinum output, which rose 14,9%, and nickel output, which climbed 9,7%.
However, this increase was to a certain extent counteracted by a decrease of 2,2% in gold output during the three-month period.
Mineral sales at current prices for the three months ended July declined by 1,4% compared with the previous three months, Stats SA said.
The actual value of mineral sales at current prices for the three months ended July reflected a decrease to R10,558-billion, down 15,4% compared with the three months ended July 2002.
This decline was mainly due to a decrease of 18% or R1,903-billion in sales of gold to R3,024-billion and a 14,2% fall or R3,414-billion in sales of non-gold minerals to R7,534-billion.
The 14,2% decrease in non-gold minerals was mainly due to decreases of:
28,7% or R151,3-million in sales of copper
27,6% or R303,3-million in sales of ‘other’ metallic minerals
25% or R2,197-billion in sales of platinum;
24,5% or R341,4-million in iron ore sales; and
24,4% or R107,1-million in manganese ore sales. – I-Net Bridge