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UG2 outperforms as Sibanye positions for new world

By: Martin Creamer 21st February 2019 The soaring prices of rhodium and palladium have put new focus on the upper group two (UG2) reef, for long the poor cousin of Merensky reef in the hierarchy of platinum group metals (PGMs) mining. Merensky's predominant platinum content has made it the preferred reef for decades but UG2 is... →

Zambia, Zimbabwe shortlist foreign firms to build hydro plant

By: Reuters 21st February 2019 Zambia and Zimbabwe have shortlisted American, European and Chinese companies to build the Batoka Gorge hydro power plant, the ministry of finance said in statement on Wednesday. Preparatory studies, including engineering feasibility, for the 2 400 MW power station will be completed by end of the... →

Aveng to sell Infraset to Colossal Africa Consortium

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 18th February 2019 JSE-listed Aveng has entered into a binding term sheet for the sale of the Aveng Infraset businesses, comprising the South African division and the Infraset business of the foreign subsidiaries of Aveng Africa, to the Colossal Africa Consortium. Infraset was identified as a noncore asset during... →

High-flying Amplats sets ‘next wave of strategy’ in motion

By: Martin Creamer 18th February 2019 Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), which shot the lights out with a set of stupendous cash-splurging, debt-negating, high-dividend-yielding 2018 results, on Monday set its “next new wave of strategy” in motion, which involves extracting the full potential from its operations through people and... →

The UK signs trade continuity agreement with five African countries as Brexit nears

By: Rebecca Campbell 15th February 2019 At the end of last month the UK signed a trade continuity agreement with countries from Eastern and Southern Africa. The countries concerned are the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe. These countries had, in 2009, signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the... →

Premier agrees to amended terms for KME acquisition, welcomes Ministry’s financial assistance

By: Simone Liedtke 14th February 2019 The board of Aim-listed Premier African Minerals has agreed to amended terms with KME Holdings for the proposed acquisition of KME’s assets and has, in addition, agreed to terms for the acquisition of 50% of the equity in the Zimbabwe-based near-term gold producer Honey Badger Resources (HBR).... →

Vast Resources set to mine Zimbabwe diamond territory – Minister

By: Reuters 14th February 2019 London-listed miner Vast Resources is to be allowed into Zimbabwe's diamond fields, Mining Minister Winston Chitando said on Thursday, joining other new entrants including Russia's Alrosa. Zimbabwe is stepping up efforts to exploit its mineral resources to revive a moribund economy sapped by high... →

At least 23 illegal Zimbabwean gold miners feared dead after shafts flooded

By: Reuters 14th February 2019 At least 23 illegal miners are trapped and feared dead in Zimbabwe after shafts and underground tunnels they were working in were flooded by water from a burst dam, a state-owned daily newspaper reported on Thursday. The southern African nation has been working to regulate thousands of people who... →

RioZim halts output as central bank fails to make payments

By: Bloomberg 8th February 2019 RioZim halted production at its three gold mines after Zimbabwe’s central bank failed to provide foreign currency the company needs to keep operating. The shutdown is the second by RioZim since October. It’s the latest indication of how businesses are struggling to keep going as a dearth of... →

Fuel price increases led to decline in new-car sales, says Strobel

By: Thabi Madiba 8th February 2019 Bearings and power transmission products distributor Bearings International (BI) customer offer marketing manager Victor Strobel says fuel price increases have affected new-car sales, which slid from 47 478 units sold in November 2018 to 39 984 units in December 2018. Subsequently, many people... →

Matric pass rate improves, but …

By: Martin Zhuwakinyu 8th February 2019 Our 2018 matriculants – those who wrote the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams and those who attended schools affiliated with the Independent Examination Board (IEB) alike – deserve a huge pat on the back for doing the nation proud. The NSC pass rate was 78.2% last year, a significant... →

Zimbabwe lithium project wins the Mining Indaba’s Investment Battlefield competition

By: Kim Cloete 7th February 2019 Junior mining company, Prospect Resources, has won the 2019 Mining Indaba Investment Battlefield for its lithium project located in Zimbabwe. Prospect Resources executive director Harry Greaves scooped the first prize at the Investing in African Mining Indaba, in Cape Town, after pitching the... →

UK and five African countries sign agreement to ensure trade continuity after Brexit

By: Rebecca Campbell 5th February 2019 At the end of last month the UK signed a trade continuity agreement with countries from Eastern and Southern Africa. The countries concerned are the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe. These countries had, in 2009, signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the... →

Subdued construction activity, higher imports cut PPC's sales volumes

By: Marleny Arnoldi 5th February 2019 JSE-listed cement producer PPC has reported difficult trading conditions for the nine months to December 31, 2018, with cement volumes down between 2% and 3%, against a backdrop of estimated market contraction of between 4% and 5%. The company said an uncharacteristically weak December retail... →

Gaping wound

By: Terence Creamer 1st February 2019 The World Bank’s latest South Africa Economic Update contains a fact box headlined ‘What is the state of human capital in South Africa?’ that is beyond disturbing. Drawing information form its recently unveiled Human Capital Index (HCI), the bank shows that South Africa’s education and health... →

BI assists sugar industry with essential maintenance in ‘off-crop’ season

31st January 2019 Leading supplier Bearings International (BI) assists its sugar-industry clients with essential maintenance and equipment upgrades of sugar mills, especially in ‘off-crop’ season. BI has been supplying industrial power transmission products to the sugar industry for the past 60 years. An area of... →

UK Minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin in SA for bilateral talks

By: African News Agency 31st January 2019 The United Kingdom (UK) Minister of State for Africa, Harriett Baldwin will arrive in Johannesburg on Thursday for a two-day visit to South Africa, the British High Commission said. Baldwin is set to hold talks with senior South African government officials, the business sector and civil society... →

Hino SA expects truck market to remain flat, aims to set up dedicated EHCV dept

By: Irma Venter 30th January 2019 The South African new-truck market grew by 4.6%, to 27 492 units, in 2018 compared with 2017, says Hino South Africa (SA) VP Ernie Trautmann. Within this market, medium commercial vehicle (MCV) sales increased by 0.3%, to 7 913 units, with heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) sales expanding by 1.7%,... →

Xtract Resources reports ‘modest’ December quarter output

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 29th January 2019 Xtract Resources on Tuesday reported alluvial mining contractors operating at its Manica project, in Mozambique, had produced about 1 328 oz of gold in the quarter ended December 31. Xtract continues to review the alluvial operations and introduce more equipment. →

SAIIA, Brookings launch Foresight Africa report

By: Sane Dhlamini 28th January 2019 The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the Brookings Institution’s Africa Growth Initiative (AGI) launched the Foresight Africa report on Monday, in Johannesburg, highlighting the top priorities for the continent in 2019. AGI senior fellow and director Brahima Coulibaly... →

Crowdfunding plan for resurrecting South Africa’s Spitfire

By: Rebecca Campbell 25th January 2019 The South African Air Force (SAAF) Museum Spitfire Restoration Project has launched a crowdfunding project to raise money to pay for the construction of a new combined workshop and hangar at the Museum’s main branch, at Air Force Base (AFB) Swartkop in Centurion (south west of Pretoria) in... →

Expanded products portfolio leads to new opportunities

By: Cameron Mackay 25th January 2019 New markets and opportunities have arisen after technical solutions provider BMG expanded its products portfolio with the addition of Fenner conveyor belting products last year. “BMG decided to sign a long-term agreement in 2018 with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) solid woven conveyor belting products... →

Crowdfunding plan for resurrecting South Africa’s Spitfire

By: Rebecca Campbell 25th January 2019 The South African Air Force (SAAF) Museum Spitfire Restoration Project has launched a crowdfunding project to raise money to pay for the construction of a new combined workshop and hangar at the Museum’s main branch, at Air Force Base (AFB) Swartkop in Centurion (south west of Pretoria) in... →

Flowtite launches impact-resistant pipe solution as it marks fiftieth anniversary

By: Schalk Burger 25th January 2019 Multinational glass fibre-reinforced polyester (GRP) pipes manufacturer Flowtite celebrated its 50-year anniversary with the local launch of its impact-resistant Grey-brand pipes last month. The pipes facilitate rapid, easy installation for heavy-duty water uses and the use of native backfill and... →

Russia's Alrosa, Chinese-owned Anjin to mine Zimbabwe diamonds – report

By: Reuters 24th January 2019 Russian diamond giant Alrosa and Chinese-owned Anjin are the two foreign companies chosen by Zimbabwe's government to partner the state-diamond firm in exploring and mining diamonds, a state-run newspaper reported on Thursday. The southern African nation announced in December that it would allow... →

Zimbabwe soldiers 'beating' protesters as crackdown continues

By: News24Wire 24th January 2019 Soldiers beat people on the streets of Zimbabwe's capital and second city Bulawayo overnight Tuesday, residents said, hours after President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to investigate a security service crackdown on anti-government protesters. There was no immediate comment from the government or... →

Zimbabwe Lithium to start DMS plant construction by Q2

By: Marleny Arnoldi 22nd January 2019 Zimbabwe Lithium Company completed bulk testwork on tailings material from its Kamativi tailings project, in Zimbabwe, during the last quarter of 2018. The testwork was completed with the help of South African national mineral research organisation Mintek. →

South Africa turned down Zimbabwe request for $1.2bn loan in December

By: Reuters 21st January 2019 South Africa turned down a request from its southern African neighbour Zimbabwe for a $1.2-billion loan in December, a spokesman for the finance ministry said on Monday. "South Africa doesn't have that kind of money," National Treasury spokesperson Jabulani Sikhakhane said. →

US urges Zimbabwe military to practice restraint amid protests

By: African News Agency 17th January 2019 The United States Embassy in Harare on Thursday expressed concern over reports of violence in parts of Zimbabwe, urging all parties to exercise restraint. "We condemn any disproportionate use of force and call on Zimbabwe’s security forces to respond to civil unrest professionally and with... →

Commodity-Wide Success For Kwatani Screens

15th January 2019 The recent orders won by vibrating screen and feeder specialist Kwatani have cemented its reputation as the leading South African original equipment supplier (OEM) with a truly cross-commodity footprint. Kwatani’s custom engineered products are now in some of the world’s largest mines, and many... →

Multotec Brings Value Of Spirals To More Minerals

15th January 2019 Experience in the field and in its test laboratory has allowed Multotec Process Equipment to prove the economic impact of applying spiral concentration technology to high value minerals used in cellular phones and electric cars. “A number of customers mining minerals such as copper, lithium, tin... →

Mnangagwa seeks cash in Russia as Zimbabwe descends into chaos

By: Bloomberg 15th January 2019 Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he’s seeking loans from Russia on a visit to Moscow as protests erupted across his country Monday, leaving 24 people injured and five possibly dead. “I can’t say that we want this much or that much,” he said in an interview with the state-run Russian... →

Russia's Alrosa returns to diamond exploration in Zimbabwe

By: Reuters 14th January 2019 Russian diamond giant Alrosa has set up a subsidiary in Zimbabwe to begin mining operations there, it said on Monday, more than two years after it shelved plans to expand into the southern African country. Alrosa, the world's largest diamond producer by output, started conducting geological... →

World's highest gasoline price prompts strike in Zimbabwe

By: Bloomberg 14th January 2019 Police clashed with protesters in the Zimbabwean capital as the main labor-union confederation began a national strike after the government more than doubled fuel prices to the highest in the world. The stay-away comes as a foreign-exchange shortage has sparked scarcities of everything from fuel... →

Caledonia lifts Q4 output, enters into gold hedge

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 14th January 2019 Caledonia Mining produced 14 952 oz of gold at its 49%-owned Blanket mine, in Zimbabwe, during the quarter ended December 31, 7% higher than the third quarter. This brought production for the full year to 54 512 oz, in line with the guided 54 000 oz to 56 000 oz. →

Chimata signs $9.5m finance, offtake facility for Zimbabwe tailings project

By: Simone Liedtke 10th January 2019 Transamine Trading and the Kamativi Tailings Company (KTC) have signed a term sheet for a $9.5-million finance and offtake facility for concentrate produced from the Kamativi tailings lithium project, in Zimbabwe. The proceeds will be used for the construction of the Phase 1 processing plant to... →

Value-chain relationship rebuild essential for platinum group metals’ survival – Ritchken

By: Martin Creamer 10th January 2019 The rebuilding of key strategic relationships across the value chain of the platinum group metals (PGMs) sector is essential for the survival of the industry, Mining Phakisa coordinator Edwin Ritchken states in the book The Future of Mining in South Africa: Sunset or Sunrise, published by the... →

South African company building new smelter in Zimbabwe

By: Creamer Media Reporter 9th January 2019 Foundry and engineering company Thos Begbie is working in the Great Dyke of Zimbabwe, close to the town of Shurungwi, where it is helping to construct the Unki platinum smelter, adjacent to a mining operation owned by platinum mining company Anglo American Platinum (Amplats). Thos Begbie was... →

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