Central banks, record first-quarter over-the-counter purchases support gold demand

Continued exchange-traded fund (ETF) outflows drove gold demand, excluding over-the-counter (OTC) purchases, down by 5% year-on-year in the first quarter of this year to 1 102 t. However,... 

NBI launches pragmatic Just Energy Transition Skilling for Employment Programme

With skills having been identified as a key cross-cutting requirement for the Just Energy Transition Implementation Plan (JET-IP), the National Business Initiative (NBI), together with the... 

ASM secures another financing letter of intent from Canadian agency

Credit agency Export Development Canada (EDC) has indicated in a conditional letter of interest that it will provide a direct lending debt funding package of up to A$400-million to ASX-listed... 

Hummingbird’s first-quarter performance impacted by contractual dispute at Kouroussa

Despite what its CEO Dan Betts deemed a challenging quarter, Aim-listed Hummingbird Resources delivered an 18% quarter-on-quarter increase in gold production at just under 17 000 oz from the... 

Pilot Crushtec introduces Swedish brand of large-scale crushers to the Southern African market

Local mobile and semi-mobile crushing and screening equipment provider Pilot Crushtec has expanded its product lineup to the Southern African mining market with the addition of Swedish brand... 

Marula secures eight mining licences next to existing graphite projects in Tanzania

UK- and South Africa-listed battery metals miner Marula Mining has advised that its NyoriGreen Mining Limited (NML) subsidiary has been granted eight new mining licences in Tanzania. A... 

Invictus partners with Zim-focused gold miner to investigate gas supply to Eureka mine

ASX-listed Invictus Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that could lead to a maiden gas offtake agreement with Dallaglio Investments, involving the supply of gas to the Eureka... 

Bushveld warns it may have to halt some operations amid funding constraints

Aim-listed Bushveld Minerals recorded record quarterly production of 498 t of vanadium from the Vanchem operation, in Mpumalanga, South Africa, for the three months ended March 31, as well as... 

Macroeconomic factors dampen Sasol’s year-to-date performance

NYSE- and JSE-listed petrochemicals company Sasol says its energy business benefitted from higher basic fuel prices, as well as improved refining margins towards the end of the nine months ended... 

Amplats posts lower first-quarter output

Platinum group metals (PGM) miner Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has reported a decrease in 5E metal-in-concentrate production of 7% to 834 100 oz for the quarter ended March 31, compared with... 

Lucapa sells three diamonds for $10.5m in first tender

ASX-listed Lucapa Diamond Company has sold three exceptional diamonds recovered from the Lulo mine, in Angola, for $10.5-million at tender. The tender was concluded on April 19 and was conducted... 

Gem Diamonds recovers 169 ct diamond in Lesotho

London-listed Gem diamonds has recovered a 169.15 ct Type II white diamond from the Letšeng mine, in Lesotho. The find marks the fourth diamond greater than 100 ct that Gem has recovered in the... 

Over-optimistic, exaggerated expectations in platinum market can lead to bad investment decisions, says CPM

Independent commodity research group CPM Group managing partner Jeffrey Christian has dispelled some of the common myths in the platinum market, which can lead to bad investment decisions on the... 

Iluka posts lower first-quarter volumes as planned

Australia-focused mineral sands and rare earths miner Iluka Resources has reported lower year-on-year production of most of its commodities owing to inventory management and a major maintenance... 

Whitehaven expects newly acquired mines to add up to 5Mt a quarter to production

Australia-based coal producer Whitehaven Coal continues to deliver strong operational performances at its Maules Creek and Gunnedah openpit mines, having produced 4.4-million tonnes of run-of-mine... 

Chief economist unpacks mining’s deeply-rooted contribution to economy despite challenges

The mining industry makes a significant difference in the lives and livelihoods of employees and society in South Africa through economic and socioeconomic contributions, but more can be done on... 

Perseus moves to compulsory acquisition of last remaining shares in OreCorp

With ASX- and TSX-listed Perseus Mining now holding a relevant interest of 94.99% of ASX-listed OreCorp’s shares, the company is moving to a compulsory acquisition of the remaining shares it does... 

UK-based Marula Mining lists on A2X in South Africa

UK-based battery metals miner Marula Mining has announced that it will undertake a secondary listing of its shares on South Africa’s A2X Markets exchange, with shares due to become available for... 

Bell Equipment advances contract manufacturing initiative

Heavy equipment manufacturer Bell Equipment has been growing its business organically by investing in the development and enhancement of products, increasing market share in key regions, such as... 

Association expects higher export volumes across all citrus fruits

As the citrus export season starts this month, the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) is confident that 37.9-million 15 kg cartons of lemons will be exported to key markets, which... 

Higher first-quarter revenue generation sets Capital up for a year of ‘positive momentum’

London-listed mining services company Capital has recorded a 3.1% year-on-year increase in revenue to $80.2-million for the quarter ended March 31, marking a good start to its financial year.... 

Jubilee achieves record third-quarter chrome output, while copper expansion advances

Aim- and ASX-listed Jubilee Metals has achieved record production levels at its South African chrome operations, both on monthly output for March and for the quarter ended March 31 – which is the... 

Lotus advances process optimisation work ahead of Letlhakane mine development

ASX-listed Lotus Resources has developed a detailed initial programme of work to maximise the potential of its Letlhakane uranium project, in Botswana. The company is working to update the... 

Orion makes advances in acquiring control of Okiep copper project

Australia-headquartered Orion Minerals has made progress with acquiring a controlling interest in the Okiep copper project, in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. Orion and other relevant... 

De Beers says third cycle sales higher than historical levels, but lags behind last year

Diamond miner De Beers says it generated about $445-million in revenue from its third sales cycle for this year. The figure represents the expected sales value from the company’s latest global... 

GSSA to host West Coast Diamonds event, excursion in May

The Geological Society of South Africa’s (GSSA’s) Northern Cape branch will host a West Coast Diamonds event and excursion on May 17 and 18, in the Northern Cape. The event will be hosted at the... 

Marula awarded trading licence for manganese mined in Kenya

Battery metals miner Marula Mining’s Kenyan representative company has been awarded a mineral dealer’s trading licence, granting it the right to buy, sell and export manganese ores. Marula... 

Association unpacks likely copper demand trends driving growth up to 2040

Research commissioned by the International Copper Association (ICA) has found that copper’s future market share will be defined by regional trends and the green energy transition. The research,... 

Jupiter lists achievements, goals in inaugural sustainability report

ASX-listed Jupiter Mines lists in its inaugural sustainability report, published on April 15, key areas for emission reduction such as optimising fuel use, exploring regenerative braking systems in... 

Pensana appoints local expert as Longonjo site manager

London-listed rare earths miner Pensana has appointed Benedito Dumbo site manager of the Longonjo rare earths mine, in Angola, ahead of the project’s main construction phase. He has been a mining... 

PGM recycling, lower-grade resources offer opportunities in low-price environment

With the platinum group metals (PGM) basket price remaining at low levels, particularly with platinum pricing at about $935/oz currently, investors are looking at how mining companies are able to... 

SA maize output to dip, but will cover local demand – bank

While South Africa’s maize production will be about 2.1-million tons lower this year, there is still enough to meet local consumption and supply neighbouring countries that are having difficult... 

Draft IRP 2023 falls short ‘in every aspect’, says Just Share

As government considers the public comments made on the draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2023 up to March 23, shareholder activism organisation Just Share has called for a remodel of the... 

Minerals Council outlines mining’s ‘immense’ positive social impact

Industry body, the Minerals Council South Africa finds in a survey that 12 of its members, representing about 60% of the formal employment in the mining industry, spent R2.3-billion on... 

Premier African Minerals to raise £2m to complete Zulu commissioning

Aim-listed Premier African Minerals has announced a subscription for 1.21-billion new ordinary shares at an issue price of 0.17p apiece to raise £2-million on or about April 17. The company will... 

NextSource starts pilot-scale work at new battery anode site in Mauritius

TSX-listed NextSource Materials has made progress with the development of a battery anode facility in the Freeport Zone of Port Louis, Mauritius. Following a comprehensive process, the company... 

BOD plans drilling at second anomaly discovered near its KX36 project

Aim-listed Botswana Diamonds (BOD) has discovered a second 6 ha anomaly close to a prior 12 ha anomaly announced in January, with the drilling of five holes to start once an environmental-impact... 

Automotive experts unpack NEV growth projections, impact on platinum demand

As new energy vehicle (NEV) sales grow more moderately in reality than what was expected two years ago, demand for platinum group metals (PGMs) in the automotive sector is not trailing off as... 

Blencowe progresses DFS work on Orom-Cross, unlocks further funding

London-listed Blencowe Resources has confirmed receipt of a third tranche of funding of $1-million from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). DFC in September last year... 

MC Mining committee reluctantly advises shareholders to accept Goldway offer

Further to Goldway Capital Investment extending the offer period to take over all the shares of coal miner MC Mining that it does not already own for A$0.16 apiece, Goldway has declared its offer...