IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Key findings regarding mining production

Mining production decreased by 4,3% year-on-year in April 2018. The largest negative contributors were:

• PGMs (-6,5% and contributing -1,5 percentage points);
• 'other' metallic minerals (-36,3% and contributing -1,0 percentage point);
• diamonds (-24,1% and contributing -0,9 of a percentage point); and
• gold (-5,7% and contributing -0,8 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted mining production decreased by 2,0% in April 2018 compared with March 2018. This followed month-on-month changes of -3,5% in March 2018 and 0,2% in February 2018.

Seasonally adjusted mining production decreased by 3,4% in the three months ended April 2018 compared with the previous three months. Ten out of the twelve mineral groups and minerals reported negative growth rates over this period. Iron ore (contributing -1,0 percentage point), PGMs (contributing -0,9 of a percentage point) and 'other' metallic minerals (contributing -0,4 of a percentage point) were the largest negative contributors.

Key findings regarding mineral sales

Mineral sales increased by 6,1% year-on-year in April 2018. Manganese ore (116,5% and contributing 5,6 percentage points), coal (10,6% and contributing 2,9 percentage points), 'other' non-metallic minerals (78,1% and contributing 2,1 percentage points) and iron ore (12,3% and contributing 1,2 percentage points) were the main positive contributors.

PGMs (-18,6% and contributing -4,6 percentage points) was a significant negative contributor.

Seasonally adjusted mineral sales at current prices increased by 3,0% in April 2018 compared with March 2018. This followed month-on-month changes of -0,8% in March 2018 and -4,1% in February 2018.

In the three months ended April 2018 the seasonally adjusted value of mineral sales at current prices was 6,2% lower compared with the previous three months.