Africa to play ‘huge role’ in US critical mineral strategy, says Treasury’s No. 2

The United States is looking to Africa to help loosen a Chinese stranglehold on battery metals and reduce Russia’s influence over the market for other minerals, US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said on Thursday.

African Rainbow pauses Bokoni mine expansion plan after H1 profit fall

African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) said on Friday it was deferring plans to expand output at its Bokoni mine due to low platinum group metal (PGM) prices after reporting a 43% drop in its half-year profit.

US court sides with Apple, Tesla, other tech companies over child labor in Africa

A federal appeals court on Tuesday refused to hold five major technology companies liable over their alleged support for the use of child labor in cobalt mining operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Platinum’s worst crisis in decades hits jobs in South Africa

South Africa’s platinum producers are in crisis, as slumping metal prices force jobs cuts and erode profits.

Northam CEO says South African platinum miners facing worst crisis in decades

Northam Platinum’s CEO said on Friday that platinum mining companies in South Africa, the world’s top supplier of the metal, are facing “severe” market conditions and are caught up in the worst crisis in three decades as prices plummet.

South African billionaire Wiese returns to his diamond-hunting roots

Christo Wiese, South Africa’s billionaire retail king, is going back to the future.

Africa moves a step closer to continent’s first cobalt refinery

Africa could have its first cobalt sulphate refinery by the end of 2025, one of the few outside of China capable of making the product that’s a key component of lithium-ion batteries.

US to commit more funds to African rail link for metal exports

The United States will provide more funds for the construction of the Lobito Corridor, a rail link to export metals from Central Africa’s Copperbelt, including a link for Zambia, US energy envoy Amos Hochstein said.

South African platinum industry could shed up to 7,000 jobs to cut costs

Restructuring of South Africa’s platinum group metals (PGM) industry in response to rising costs and falling prices could result in between 4,000 and 7,000 job cuts, the country’s Minerals Council said on Monday.

Western miners lag as oil powers enter race for Africa’s critical metals

Risk aversion is likely to leave major Western miners lagging in a race to tap Africa’s reserves of critical raw materials that has gathered pace now Middle Eastern oil powers have begun to emulate China’s years of investment on the continent.

Platinum miners’ underground protest in South Africa goes on

Mining News Pro - Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. said an underground protest at one of its mines in South Africa is unresolved, with more than 2,000 workers still below surface.

South African court denies class action against Anglo American

Mining News Pro - South Africa’s High Court has ruled that a class action lawsuit against miner Anglo American brought by victims of alleged historic lead poisoning in Zambia should not go ahead, lawyers for the claimants said on Saturday.

Anglo consults South Africa on potential platinum, iron job cuts

Mining News Pro - The company has held talks with the government over the potential reduction in its workforce, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter hasn’t been made public. Senior government officials asked the company to consider delaying the cuts until after elections likely to take place around May, three of the people said. SIGN UP FOR THE IRON ORE DIGEST The Congress of South African Trade Unions said that Anglo has also spoken to one of its members, the National Union of Mineworkers, about the matter. The job cuts would be another blow to the electoral prospects of President Cyril Ramaphosa and his ruling African National Congress. Anglo is already in the midst of plans to slash corporate and head office jobs globally, with many of those positions in South Africa. The company joined other mining behemoths in posting a steep drop in first-half profit as China’s economic slowdown damped earnings. Anglo American Platinum Ltd. — about 79% owned by London-based Anglo — is contending with a 14% fall in the price of platinum this year and a 41% plunge in palladium, a valuable byproduct. Rival Sibanye Stillwater Ltd. said in October that it may fire more than 4,000 platinum workers. Kumba Iron Ore Ltd., owner of South Africa’s biggest iron ore mine and a 70% subsidiary of Anglo, said third-quarter iron ore sales fell 12% from the year earlier, largely because of the poor performance of state ports and freight rail company, Transnet SOC Ltd. The company is almost out of storage space for the ore it has mined and can’t rail it, one of the people said. “It is no secret that the current operating environment is very tough for both macro and South Africa-specific reasons and we are playing a major role in working across business and with government to help resolve some of those South Africa constraints,” Anglo said in a response to queries. “Beyond that, it would be inappropriate for us to comment on the details of our discussions.” While a final decision on whether to fire workers and how many positions may be affected has not been taken, the job cuts may impact Anglo American Platinum first, the people familiar said. Those at Kumba may be deferred until later, they added. The minerals department didn’t respond to a request for comment, while Gwede Mantashe, minerals and energy minister and chairman of the ANC, didn’t answer a call to his phone or respond to a text message. PGM prices are falling because of global economic conditions, especially the weaker-than-expected recovery in China. Kumba’s woes are directly related to the sub-standard performance of Transnet, whose inability to rail commodities to ports has also led to coal companies Seriti Resources Holdings Ltd. and Glencore Plc to start talks over job cuts. The plunge in rail performance has seen the amount of iron ore transported to ports fall to the lowest in a decade, while coal shipments by rail are at a 30-year low, according to a report prepared for Ramaphosa’s office. In an Oct. 24 production report, Kumba said “ongoing rail and port challenges have increased our focus on cost optimization and initiatives to match production and optimize logistics capacity.” It said it had 9 million tons of iron ore in stock at the end of September, almost double the amount it had on site a year earlier.

Nornickel to pay $18m to drop its stake in nickel JV in South Africa

Mining News Pro - Russia’s Nornickel will pay $18 million to pass its 50% stake in Nkomati nickel mine in South Africa to its partner African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), ARM said on Friday, ending years of Nornickel’s attempts to exit Africa.

Atlantic Lithium shuns takeover by major African shareholder

Mining News Pro - Atlantic Lithium (AIM: ALL, ASX: A11) is once again turning down a proposed takeover by major shareholder Assore International Holdings, which has offered to acquire the company at a price of £0.33 per share (A$0.63).

South Africa president deploys army to tackle illegal mining

Mining News Pro - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorized the deployment of 3,300 army personnel to help combat illegal mining activities, Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement on Thursday.

South Africa president deploys army to tackle illegal mining

Mining News Pro - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorized the deployment of 3,300 army personnel to help combat illegal mining activities, Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement on Thursday.

US steps up efforts to access Africa’s critical minerals

Mining News Pro - The US is stepping up efforts to boost ties with African nations rich in critical minerals to help secure supply, according to a government official.

Researchers monitor emissions from Africa’s Copperbelt mines from space

Mining News Pro - A new study led by the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) found that emissions associated with mining operations in Africa’s Copperbelt can be quantified from space.

South African mining profits slump by almost half

Mining News Pro - South African mining company profits have plunged by almost half this year, dropping almost 100 billion rand ($5.2 billion) because of the blows from lower commodity prices, crippling power cuts, rail network constraints and rising costs, Fin24 said, citing a report by PwC.

South Africa says Kusile coal plant to revive capacity this year

Mining News Pro - South Africa said its state-owned power utility will add 2,400 megawatts of generating capacity to the country’s strained electricity grid before the end of the year.

Europe lines up African minerals pacts to ease reliance on China

Mining News Pro - The European Union is finalizing partnerships with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to boost local industries as the bloc competes with China to secure critical materials for the green and digital sectors.

Former Yamana Gold head Peter Marrone turns his eye to Africa

Mining News Pro - Peter Marrone, former Yamana Gold Inc. executive chairman, is back at the helm of a Canadian precious-metals producer after putting $30-million of his own money into Africa-focused Allied Gold Corp.

US, Saudi Arabia in talks to secure metals in Africa

Mining News Pro - The United States and Saudi Arabia are in talks to secure metals in Africa needed to help them with their energy transitions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people with knowledge of the talks.

South African miners join race to buy Khoemacau copper mine

Mining News Pro - At least three South African miners are in the running to buy Botswana’s Khoemacau copper mine that is home to one of Africa’s largest copper deposits, several sources told Reuters, as growing demand for the metal ensures strong competition for the sought-after asset.

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