South Africa’s mining production rises 4.6% in January as PGMs and chrome lead growth

South Africa’s mining sector kicked off the year on a positive note, with production rising strongly as platinum group metals (PGMs), chromium ore and manganese ore drove growth across the industry.

According to Statistics South Africa, mining production increased by 4.6% year on year in January, highlighting renewed momentum in key mineral commodities critical to both local and global supply chains.

The performance reflects strong production in several commodities that continue to position South Africa as a major global mining hub.

PGMs dominate growth in mining output

Statistics South Africa reports that PGM production played the most significant role in boosting mining output.

“PGM production increased by 10.8% year-on-year in January, with the sector contributing 2.7 percentage points to the overall growth in mining output.”

South Africa is the world’s largest producer of PGMs, which include platinum, palladium, and rhodium. These metals are widely used in automotive catalytic converters, clean energy technologies, and electronics.

The strong growth underscores the continued importance of PGMs to the country’s mining economy and export revenue.

Chromium and manganese production surge

Chromium and manganese also delivered impressive production gains in January.

Chromium ore production rose by 37.3% year on year, making a substantial contribution to overall mining performance, while manganese ore output increased by 12.5% year on year.

Together, these commodities added significant momentum to the sector’s growth.

Chromium ore contributed 1.8 percentage points.

Manganese ore contributed 1 percentage point.

Both minerals are critical components in global steel production, and South Africa holds some of the world’s largest reserves of each.

Iron ore output drags slightly on performance

Despite the strong overall performance, iron ore production declined slightly during the period.

Iron ore output decreased by 1.9% year on year, contributing 0.3 of a percentage point to overall mining growth.

While the decline was modest, it partially offset gains from other commodities.

Month on month mining production rebounds

On a monthly basis, mining production also showed signs of recovery.

Seasonally adjusted data shows output increased by 2.9% month on month in January. This followed month on month changes of 1.6% in December and 5.2% in November 2025.

However, over a broader period, production trends remained mixed. Mining output decreased by 3.1% in the three months ended January 31 compared with the previous three months.

During that period, the largest negative contributors were PGMs with 1.3 percentage points, iron ore with 1.2 percentage points and coal with 0.8 percentage points.

Manganese ore was the largest positive contributor with one percentage point.

Mineral sales surge sharply

Beyond production, mineral sales delivered an even stronger performance.

Statistics South Africa revealed that mineral sales at current prices increased by 31.7% year on year in January.

The strongest contributors were PGMs with a 122.4% increase contributing 23.1 percentage points, gold with a 35.9% increase contributing 8.4 percentage points and chromium ore with a 66.7% increase contributing 3.4 percentage points.

Coal and iron ore recorded declines. Coal fell 10.3% contributing 2.8 percentage points, while iron ore declined 11.9% contributing 1.5 percentage points.

Monthly mineral sales soften

Despite the strong annual growth, mineral sales dipped on a monthly basis.

Seasonally adjusted mineral sales decreased by 9.1% month on month in January. This followed month on month changes of 23% in December and 1.6% in November.

Over a longer period, however, sales remained positive. Seasonally adjusted mineral sales increased by 12.6% in the three months ended January 31 compared with the previous three months.

Mining sector remains a key economic driver

The latest data highlights the continued resilience of South Africa’s mining industry, particularly in high demand commodities such as PGMs, chromium and manganese.

With global demand for critical minerals rising, especially those linked to green technologies, infrastructure and steel production, the sector remains a crucial contributor to South Africa’s economic growth, exports, and employment.