On-The-Air (03/07/2026)

Martin Creamer discusses South32’s conditional agreement to sell Hillside Aluminium to Alcoa; Sibanye-Stillwater calling for new longer-term platinum group metal applications; and DRDGOLD’s... 

Platinum jewellery generates highest demand level since 2019

Despite metal price and import tariff headwinds, platinum jewellery delivered growth across all markets in 2025, generating the highest demand level since 2019. South Africa is the world's largest... 

Infrastructure can be the catalyst that brings Africa together

That Africa cannot afford fragmented voices any longer was a point mining and energy luminary Mike Teke made when he addressed the Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines last month. We agree. Africa needs far... 

South32 deal enabling Alcoa to surpass Rio as world’s biggest bauxite miner

With the acquisition of South32’s aluminium assets, Alcoa will surpass Rio Tinto to become the world's largest bauxite mining company on an equity-attributable production basis, with global share... 

Alcoa sees South Africa’s Hillside Aluminium being 'cash flow accretive immediately'

This asset adds scale to our smelting portfolio in a way that is expected to be cash flow accretive immediately, Alcoa Corporation President and CEO William (Bill) F Oplinger said of South Africa’s... 

Alcoa is well positioned to operate South Africa’s Hillside Aluminium, says Pillay

As a global producer of materials across the aluminium value chain, Alcoa Corporation is well positioned to operate South Africa’s Hillside Aluminium business into the future, South32 COO Africa... 

DRDGOLD’s R8bn internally funded capital programme forging steadily ahead

Gold-from-mine-waste company DRDGOLD is looking at organic growth of 40% in throughput and 30% in output, using internally funded cash flows and infrastructure that can facilitate additional... 

Attributes of platinum group metals explicated at Mintek PGM Day

Platinum group metals (PGMs) have several properties that make them critical everyday-life minerals, Mintek supervisor applied chemical analysis Nehemiah Mukwevho explicated during his presentation... 

Northern Cape becoming the copper gift that just keeps on giving

South Africa’s well-endowed Northern Cape is becoming the copper gift that just keeps on giving, with yet another intercept confirming copper continuity. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed... 

Mintek outlines how value can be added to South Africa’s PGM mining industry

South Africa's national mineral research organisation Mintek on Friday, June 26 spelt out how it can add value to South Africa’s platinum group metals (PGMs) industry. At its corporate head office... 

On-The-Air (26/06/2026)

Martin Creamer talks about South Africa's platinum assets, hydrogen fuel cell technology and a project underway in KZN to add value to the titanium in mineral sands. 

$870m ilmenite beneficiation project enters construction phase at Richards Bay IDZ

The construction of the first phase of the Nyanza Light Metals plant to advance ilmenite up the value curve in the form of titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigment has begun at the Richards Bay Industrial... 

Exciting gigawatt-scale projects across Africa, SLR reports

To combat climate change, the world needs green molecules in addition to green electrons. “If we look how the economy is carbonised, an electron can only decarbonise between 60% to 70% of the... 

South Africa’s battery materials supply status surges ahead with new MMC plant

South Africa’s supply status in the rapidly evolving and increasingly geopolitically fragmented battery materials market has taken a major leap forward with the completion of the construction by... 

South Africa’s Zandkopsdrift rare earths project highlighted at Junior Indaba

The Zandkopsdrift rare earths project in South Africa’s endowed Northern Cape was highlighted on day two of the Junior Indaba, which also learnt of the rapid forward momentum of West Wits Mining’s... 

Africa must create conditions that allow investment to flourish, Junior Indaba hears

Mining's future will not be built only by the largest companies. Even though major mining houses are economically critical, history has shown that discoveries are usually made by optimists,... 

South Africa must pursue every viable route to greater industrialisation

In a period where change is proving to be rapid and consequential, South Africa’s public and private sectors should go all out to collaboratively pursue every viable route to greater... 

New longer-term platinum metal applications needed, Sibanye-Stillwater headlines

To replace declining demand for the autocatalysis that curbs emissions from vehicle exhausts, new longer-term platinum group metal (PGM) applications are required, Sibanye-Stillwater headlined at... 

Sibanye-Stillwater’s mass of metal ‘probably one of planet’s biggest’

This is an incredible endowment and we are executing a deliberate strategy to extract more value from every single square metre of our resource base, an ebullient Sibanye-Stillwater COO Richard Cox... 

Sibanye-Stillwater declares its South African platinum assets ‘world’s best’

If you gave me an option to have any portfolio of platinum group metal (PGM) assets in the world, this is the portfolio I would take – without a doubt, Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Dr Richard Stewart... 

South Africa’s Deputy President in hydrogen fuel cell working visit to China

As part of a working visit to China, South Africa’s Deputy President Paul Mashatile has met with a key industry organisation that promotes the development and adoption of hydrogen energy and fuel... 

Exxaro displays major wind, solar achievement without shrinking coal

Impressive renewable-energy advances were graphically displayed by coal major Exxaro during its Capital Day on Monday, June 22. The first was a wind turbine involving 600 m3 of concrete in a 25 m... 

Africa cannot afford fragmented voices any longer, Mike Teke points out

Africa cannot afford fragmented voices any longer, South Africa’s mining and energy leading light Mike Teke pointed out in an address at the Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines, where he highlighted the need... 

New cadastre processing W Cape mining licence applications, Parliament hears

The phased rollout of the new online mining licensing system – the cadastre – is progressing steadily, with Western Cape applications being received and processed online, Parliament was informed on... 

Roodepoort-born Roodepoort gold miner talks to Engineering News & Mining Weekly

He was born in Roodepoort but never imagined that one day he would be mining gold in Roodepoort, now the site of Qala Shallows, the first new underground gold mine to be built in South Africa in 15... 

South Africa must go all out to get the very best out of its rich natural resources

While South Africa is well-endowed with minerals, the full potential of these minerals is no longer being achieved. At best, their contribution is flat, which makes the call by the far-thinking... 

Platinum jewellery generates highest demand level since 2019

Despite metal price and import tariff headwinds, platinum jewellery delivered growth across all markets in 2025, generating the highest demand level since 2019. South Africa is the world's largest... 

July’s Shanghai Week set to firm up platinum’s already solid status

In a year where change is proving to be rapid and consequential, the major upcoming Shanghai Platinum Week is bound to connect key trends across the platinum group metals (PGMs) value chain as it... 

On-The-Air (12/06/2026)

Martin Creamer talks about Manganese Metal Company, rare earths in the Northern Cape and Junior mining opportunities. 

Sustainability is at the heart of mining’s future, Valterra Platinum affirms

South Africa's platinum group metals (PGMs) mining and marketing company Valterra Platinum this week affirmed sustainability as being at the heart of the future of mining when it hosted its... 

Public-private collaboration is proving worthwhile

An important step towards stabilising the operations of important value-adding South African companies, preserving the jobs that go with them, and promoting a more sustainable future for them, has... 

Mining can unlock growth, skills, job creation, Minerals Council AGM hears

With disciplined policy reform, modernisation and partnerships, mining can elevate South Africa’s economic development, industrial capability and social progress. “We can unlock growth, skills and... 

Urgent need for one-stop mineral rights shop, Minerals Council points out

There is an urgent need for a one-stop shop for mineral right applications to coordinate and align all relevant regulations from other departments, to streamline and expedite approval processes.... 

Capital raised to turn South African copper projects into mining operations

More than R180-million has been raised to transition key copper projects in South Africa’s endowed Northern Cape into operations as early as in the second quarter of this year. The strongly... 

South Africa’s battery materials supply status surges ahead with new MMC plant

South Africa’s supply status in the rapidly evolving and increasingly geopolitically fragmented battery materials market has taken a major leap forward with the completion of the construction by... 

South Africa’s Zandkopsdrift rare earths project highlighted at Junior Indaba

The Zandkopsdrift rare earths project in South Africa’s endowed Northern Cape was highlighted on day two of the Junior Indaba, which also learnt of the rapid forward momentum of West Wits Mining’s... 

Strong exploration system essential to mining’s future, Junior Indaba points out

A strong and vibrant exploration system is essential to the future of the mining sector, and to advancing transformation, inclusion, and long-term growth in South Africa. In spelling this out at... 

Africa must create conditions that allow investment to flourish, Junior Indaba hears

Mining's future will not be built only by the largest companies. Even though major mining houses are economically critical, history has shown that discoveries are usually made by optimists,... 

Green hydrogen seen as having potential to trigger new green industrialisation

Green hydrogen, which is produced with the help of platinum group metals (PGMs), could become the catalyst for new green iron, green steel, green chemicals and beneficiation industries built on... 

South African green hydrogen first-movers given major boost

Enticing support for first movers into green hydrogen project development is on offer via a first-of-a-kind government-led framework designed to assess the readiness and bankability of green...