South African platinum industry needs continuing collaboration, says panel
Impala Platinum mining executive Thabile Makgala discusses current trends in the platinum mining industry. Video and editing: Nicholas Boyd.
Despite cautious optimism among industry stakeholders about the platinum group metals (PGMs) industry’s forward momentum, Northam Platinum CEO Paul Dunne warned delegates attending the PGMs Industry Day, in Johannesburg, last week, that the industry was “not out of the woods yet”.
Dunne lamented that the next 12 to 18 months could bring about more mine closures and associated job losses.
“The industry has not seen too much project work in a decade and capital build is now somewhat surprising, [especially with] capital intensity playing an important metric, [alongside] a relative cost of production,” he explained.
It was for this reason that mining companies such as Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) were trying to improve margins by addressing costs, CEO Steve Phiri pointed out, adding that RBPlat was “positioned for tough market conditions”.
Further, owing to the tough market conditions, Impala Platinum mining executive Thabile Makgala said the South African platinum industry was seeing a decline in production, especially in deep conventional mining.
To avoid continuing on this path, she highlighted, the industry should consider opening other areas for exploration and move to mechanisation.
“South Africa needs to look at technology and innovation, and [the industry] must not be bled out where technology is concerned,” she said.
It is incumbent on the industry to promote the future possibilities of the South African industry, while also collaborating with tertiary institutions to ensure that curriculums are relevant, she averred.
Further, Phiri believes there is also room for greater collaboration among platinum miners to work together on one project. He said RBPlat was open to collaboration with other miners, but said everything would depend on the feasibility of the project.
Dunne agreed, stating that, if the project “makes sense”, it could be done successfully with two willing partners.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
For over 30 years, Werner South Africa Pumps & Equipment (PTY) LTD has been designing, manufacturing, supplying and maintaining specialist...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Your global lifecycle technology & service partner for materials & minerals processing equipment for coal, iron ore, copper, manganese & other...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
