South Africa’s gold output during the third quarter of this year rose 2,1% compared with the second quarter, the Chamber of Mines said on Monday.
Gold output in the third quarter rose to 50 504,3kg compared with the 49 444,5kg in the second quarter, it said in a statement.
On a year-on-year basis, gold production was down 4,1% in the quarter to the end of September.
South Africa’s gold production has been dwindling, and fell by 5,8% in 2009, making the country the fourth-biggest producer after China, Australia and the United States.
The country was the world’s largest gold producer for most of the last century up until 2006, but dwindling grades and stoppages of mines for safety-related reasons as the companies plunge deeper in search of gold have hit the sector. — Reuters