Mining output, sales decrease in September
Statistics South Africa reports that the country's mining production decreased by 10.7% year-on-year in September, while mineral sales decreased by 4.1% year-on-year.
The largest negative contributors to mining production for September were iron-ore (-23.7% and contributing -3.4 percentage points); coal (-13.4% and contributing -3.3 percentage points); platinum group metals, or PGMs (-9.9% and contributing -2.9 percentage points); and diamonds (-63.1% and contributing -1.1 percentage points).
Further, seasonally adjusted mining production increased by 2.8% month-on-month in September. This followed month-on-month changes of -4.8% in August and -2.1% in July.
In addition, seasonally adjusted mining production decreased by 6% in the third quarter of this year compared with the second quarter. The largest negative contributors were PGMs (-12.5% and contributing -3.5 percentage points); iron-ore (-6.5% and contributing -0.9 of a percentage point); and coal (-3.5% and contributing -0.9 of a percentage point).
Meanwhile, iron-ore (-23.1% and contributing -2 percentage points); PGMs (-7% and contributing -1.9 percentage points); and gold (-4.5% and contributing -1 percentage point) were the largest contributors to the 4.1% year-on-year decrease in mineral sales for September.
The largest positive contributor was coal (6.2% and contributing 1.2 percentage points).
Seasonally adjusted mineral sales at current prices increased by 12.8% month-on-month in September. This followed month-on-month changes of -7.6% in August and -13.7% in July.
Seasonally adjusted mineral sales at current prices decreased by 15.6% in the third quarter, compared with the second quarter.a