Southern Palladium gets environmental authorisation for underground mining at Bengwenyama

South Africa’s Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) has granted environmental authorisation for an underground mining right and related infrastructural activities to ASX- and... 

More than 1.06bn carats of diamonds were traded through Dubai over the past five years

Kimberley Process (KP) chair Ahmed Bin Sulayem of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has revealed that more than 1.06-billion carats of combined rough and polished diamonds were traded through Dubai in... 

Kodal cites positive relationship with Mali govt as it awaits export permit

Mineral exploration and development company Kodal Minerals has criticised recent media reports for inaccurately suggesting that exports of spodumene concentrate from its flagship Bougouni lithium... 

Responsible Gold appoints new president

Blockchain-powered ecosystem for traceable and ethically sourced gold Responsible Gold has announced the appointment of Sakhila Mirza as its president. She will oversee the firm’s next phase of... 

World Diamond Council applauds breakthrough on broader conflict diamond definition

The World Diamond Council (WDC) has praised the progress made towards expanding the Kimberley Process (KP) definition of conflict diamonds, after what it said was “a successful week of open and... 

Rio Tinto to support development of 200 farmers in KwaZulu-Natal

Mining major Rio Tinto has entered into a two-year partnership with the Lima rural development foundation to improve the livelihoods of 200 farmers across ten traditional authority areas in... 

Afrimat reports lower operating profit but expects improvement going forward

Midtier mining and materials company Afrimat has reported a significant decline in operating profit for the 12 months ended February 28. Group revenue increased by 36.7% from R6.1-billion in the... 

Alphamin reports production decline owing to DRC security concerns

JSE-listed Alphamin has reported an 18% quarter-on-quarter decline in high-grade tin concentrate production from the Bisie tin mine, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), for the first... 

Heavy rainfall crimps Afarak’s South African output, but Türkiye ops fare better

LSE- and Nasdaq-listed Afarak Group has reported a 15.2% year-on-year increase in production for the first quarter of this year, despite production at its South African chrome operations having... 

Gold Fields raises $750m for corporate purposes, to repay Osisko loan

JSE- and NYSE-listed Gold Fields has successfully completed the raising of $750-million through the issuance of seven-year notes, which carry an interest rate of 5.85%. These notes were issued by... 

PIC now owns 15.41% of Sibanye

The Public Investment Corporation (PIC) has increased its ownership of the ordinary shares of JSE- and NYSE-listed Sibanye-Stillwater to 15.41% of the company’s total issued ordinary shares. The... 

Akobo agrees to revised loan facility terms for Segele development

Euronext-listed Akobo Minerals has agreed with Monetary Metals on revised terms for the company’s existing gold loan facility.  Monetary Metals initially provided funding in November 2022 to... 

US trade tariffs pose severe indirect risks to sub-Saharan Africa, BMI warns

While the direct effects of US tariffs on sub-Saharan African trade were limited, the broader economic and political ramifications – through falling commodity prices, fiscal tightening and rising... 

Cape Town Container Terminal receives first batch of new rubber-tyred gantry cranes

The Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) has taken delivery of components of the first nine of 28 new rubber-tyred gantry cranes, which original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) Liebherr Africa has... 

Prefeasibility work progressing smoothly on Harena’s Madagascar rare earths project

The prefeasibility study (PFS) work on London-listed Harena Resources’ 75%-owned Ampasindava rare earths project, in Madagascar, is progressing at pace. The company added on May 6 that initial work... 

Coaltech to launch GHG management, reporting framework for coal sector

With support from key industry players, a new initiative led by nonprofit research organisation Coaltech will see the development of South Africa’s first sector-wide framework for managing and... 

Mining input costs moderating but significant pressures remain – Minerals Council

Although mining input costs have moderated in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2024, significant pressures remained, the Minerals Council South Africa revealed on May... 

Lotus gets approval to resume uranium mining in Malawi

Uranium mining company Lotus (Africa), an 85%-owned subsidiary of ASX- and OTCQX-listed Lotus Resources, has received approval from Malawi’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (AERA) for the... 

Akobo facing liquidity issues following disappointing production results

Euronext-listed gold producer Akobo Minerals’ gold production for March and April amounted to 1 kg at an average grade of about 3 g/t, which is below the company’s expectations, the company said on... 

We can no longer blame apartheid for economic failures, BBCBE’s Masimene says

After more than 30 years of democracy, South Africa’s numerous economic problems can no longer be blamed on Apartheid but rather must be blamed on the black-led government that has held the reins... 

Global commodity prices expected to drop to six-year low by 2026 – World Bank

Faltering economic growth is coinciding with ample oil supply in ways that are expected to cause a drop in global commodity prices to their lowest level of the 2020s, according to the World Bank’s... 

Zimplats reports lower mined volumes on trackless machinery constraints

Platinum group metals (PGMs) miner Zimplats has reported an 11% year-on-year and a 4% quarter-on-quarter decrease in mined volumes for the quarter ended March 31, owing to lower availability of... 

Premier to raise more than £1.5m through new share issue

Aim-listed Premier African Minerals has announced a subscription of 4.5-billion shares to raise £1.58-million before expenses at an issue price of 0.035p per new ordinary share. The funds raised... 

Merafe to suspend operations at Boshoek, Wonderkop smelters in May

JSE-listed Merafe Resources will suspend operations at its Boshoek and Wonderkop ferrochrome smelters, in the North West province, indefinitely. The decision was made after a business review... 

Despite cautionary indicators, platinum price will rise within a year, analyst says

Although the global economic and industrial “dashboard is littered with red and yellow indicators”, Metals Focus platinum group metals (PGMs) research director Wilma Swarts believes there are... 

De Beers reports 11% y/y production decline in the first quarter

Diamond producer De Beers’ rough diamond production for the first quarter of this year decreased by 11% year-on-year to 6.1-million carats, reflecting the continued production response to a... 

First Quantum reports $23m net loss in first quarter

TSX-listed First Quantum Minerals has reported a net loss attributable to shareholders of $23-million, which equates to a $0.03 loss a share, and adjusted earnings of $2-million for the three... 

Orion secures $2m loan from Ratel

ASX- and JSE-listed Orion Minerals’ shareholder Ratel Growth, of which former Orion director Thomas Borman is the controlling shareholder, has provided Orion an unsecured $2‑million loan facility... 

Aterian signs $4.5m trade finance agreement

London-listed critical metal-focused exploration and development company Aterian has signed a $4.5-million trade finance agreement with a global commodity trading and financial house. The company... 

Botala to raise A$1.25m through new share placement

ASX- and BSE-listed coal exploration and development company Botala Energy has secured firm investment commitments from institutional, sophisticated and professional investors to raise... 

Deep Yellow reiterates impact of poor uranium prices

Uranium developer and producer Deep Yellow has, in its latest quarterly activities report, published on April 22, reiterated that it has deferred a final investment decision on its Tumas project,... 

FQM invests A$15.2m in Prospect Resources

Copper producer First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has announced a strategic investment in Australia-based battery and electrification metals developer Prospect Resources. Prospect’s principal focus is... 

URU completes airborne survey over Zebediela

Aim-listed exploration and development company URU Metals has announced the completion of a high-resolution airborne geophysical survey over its Zebediela project area, in South Africa, conducted... 

Copper Mark awarded to two of Glencore’s DRC operations

Diversified miner Glencore’s two operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – Kamoto Copper Company (KCC), a joint venture with Gécamines and the DRC government, and Mutanda Mining... 

Kamoa-Kakula significantly increases imported hydroelectric power to start up new smelter

TSX- and OTCQX-listed Ivanhoe Mines’ joint venture (JV) Kamoa-Kakula copper complex, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has reached a major turning point following a significant increase in... 

Precious metals unable to avoid wide-ranging sell-offs amid Trump tariffs

Although precious metals dodged the reciprocal import tariffs that US President Donald Trump announced last week, they were unable to avoid the wide-ranging sell-off that hit most assets, Heraeus... 

Trump tariff policies likely to extend beyond his term, analysts say

Following the announcement by US President Donald Trump on April 2 that South Africa would be subjected to 30% tariffs on its exports to the US, banker and academic Colin Coleman has said there is... 

Despite cautionary indicators, platinum price will rise within a year, analyst says

Although the global economic and industrial “dashboard is littered with red and yellow indicators”, Metals Focus platinum group metals (PGMs) research director Wilma Swarts believes there are... 

Mantashe lauds opening of Seriti’s Naudesbank Colliery, insists coal mining remains critical

“King coal is back!” Mineral Resources and Petroleum Minister Gwede Mantashe exclaimed at the ribbon cutting of coal producer Seriti’s new Naudesbank Colliery, near Carolina, in Mpumalanga, on... 

SABS investigation continues amid unsettling allegations of mismanagement

Ever since allegations of corruption and mismanagement against State-owned entity the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) started to surface late last year, the organisation has been under...