South Africans pull R4.1bn from pension funds in 10 days since reform took effect

South Africans asked to withdraw R4.1-billion from their pension funds in the first ten days after a reform took effect on September 1 allowing fund members to make partial withdrawals before... 

Zimbabwe blueberry farmers chase booming demand but face funding woes

Zimbabwean farmers aim to capitalize on increasing global demand for blueberries, but self-funded growers like Willard Zireva cite a lack of finance and minimal government support as barriers.... 

Indigenous group takes fight against Rio Tinto Arizona copper mine to US Supreme Court

A Native American group on Wednesday asked the US Supreme Court to block Rio Tinto and BHP from gaining access to Arizona land needed to build one of the world's largest copper mines, a last-ditch... 

Putin says Russia should consider restricting exports of uranium, titanium and nickel

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow should consider limiting exports of uranium, titanium and nickel in retaliation against the West. "Please take a look at some of the... 

BHP sees Brazil as major potash market for new project in Canada

Australian mining giant BHP expects Brazil to become one of the three largest markets for the major potash project it is developing in Canada, the company's local head told Reuters on Tuesday.... 

Vale bumps up 2024 iron-ore production forecast

razilian miner Vale said on Wednesday it expects to produce between 323-million and 330-million metric tons of iron-ore in 2024, raising a previous forecast of 310-million to 320-million. The... 

EU asks Australia to make foreign investment easier, eyes critical minerals

The European Union would like Australia to make foreign investment easier, its ambassador in Canberra said on Wednesday, as the bloc looks to diversify its supply chain for critical minerals.... 

Australian lithium miners rally on report that China's CATL suspends lithium mines

Shares in Australian lithium miners including Pilbara Minerals and Mineral Resources surged more than 10% on Wednesday after a report that Chinese EV battery maker CATLhas suspended two lepidolite... 

Chinese firms to build Namibia's largest solar power plant

Namibia's State-owned power utility NamPower on Monday said it had signed a contract with two Chinese firms to start building the country's largest solar power plant. The southern African country... 

Australia's Global Lithium to revamp operations amid lithium downturn

Australia's Global Lithium Resources fell more than 13% to hit a record low on Tuesday as it said it will implement corporate and operational changes due to a likely protracted downturn in the... 

China has more than 1bn t/y of new coal mines in pipeline, report says

China accounts for more than half of the world's pipeline of new coal mines, risking a significant increase in methane emissions, a new study published on Tuesday showed. China is developing... 

Anglo American hired advisers to sell two nickel mines in Brazil, says country head

Anglo American hired financial advisers to sell two nickel mines in Brazil, the miner's country head, Ana Sanches, told journalists on Monday. At an event in Belo Horizonte, Sanches said the... 

Syrah Resources' losses deepen as China glut hits graphite demand

Syrah Resources on Monday posted a wider half-year loss after its graphite production and sales plunged amid a glut in major market China. The Australian miner's half-year loss widened to... 

Vale, BHP, Samarco could close $18bn deal over Brazil dam collapse

Mining companies Vale and BHP, together with their joint venture Samarco, may soon reach an agreement with Brazilian authorities to pay around 100-billion reais ($17.87-billion) for the collapse... 

China lodges WTO complaint over Canada’s EV and metal tariffs

China will take Canada to the World Trade Organization to challenge Ottawa’s decision to impose new tariffs of up to 100% on Chinese-made electric vehicles, steel and aluminum. The Ministry of... 

Global steel prices to trend lower on uncertain China demand recovery, study says

Global average steel prices are likely to trend downwards as China's domestic demand is expected to soften owing to a sluggish property sector, a report by Fitch Solutions unit BMI said on... 

Woodside raises $2bn in bonds amid rising investor worries over capex plans

Australia's Woodside Energy raised $2-billion in the US bond market, it said on Friday, driving it shares lower on growing worries over the oil and gas producer's capital expenditure plans. The... 

Codelco buys Enami's 10% stake in Teck's Quebrada Blanca mine

Chilean State-run miner Codelco has purchased Enami's 10% stake in Teck's Quebrada Blanca mine in northern Chile for $520-million, it said on Thursday. The deal will contribute 25,000 to 30 000... 

Piedmont Lithium pulls US government loan application as prices slump

Piedmont Lithium has pulled its application for a debt package from a popular US government loan program and is scaling back ambitious expansion plans across two continents, as tumbling prices of... 

Chile's top court rejects Tianqi appeal to halt SQM-Codelco deal

Chile's Supreme Court rejected Chinese firm Tianqi's appeal to halt a lithium deal between SQM and State-run Codelco, local newspaper La Tercera reported on Wednesday. Tianqi has argued that the... 

South Africa's current account deficit narrows again in second quarter

South Africa's current account deficit narrowed in the second quarter, to 0.9% of gross domestic product from 1.5% of GDP in the first quarter, central bank data showed on Thursday. In rand terms... 

Zimbabwe turns to private firms to boost freight rail volumes

Zimbabwe's State-owned railway operator has opened its network up to private players, including a unit of South Africa's Grindrod, as it seeks to boost freight volumes that had collapsed after... 

Liberia conditionally lifts shutdown order on China Union iron-ore Bong Mines

Liberia conditionally lifted a shutdown order on China Union's iron ore Bong Mines, the government said in a statement on Wednesday. The West African country's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)... 

China offers Africa $51-billion in fresh funding, promises a million jobs

President Xi Jinping pledged on Thursday to step up China's support to the world's fastest-growing continent with funding of nearly $51-billion, backing for more infrastructure initiatives and a... 

Santos CFO change throws spotlight on top job succession

Australian energy giant Santos has appointed former Woodside and Newcrest senior executive Sherry Duhe as its finance chief, the company said on Thursday amid rising market speculation about a... 

France's Orano selects Tennessee site to build uranium enrichment plant

France's state-owned nuclear fuel company Orano has selected Oak Ridge, Tennessee as a preferred site to build a multi-billion dollar US uranium enrichment plant, Tennessee and Orano officials... 

IMF says South Africa needs ambitious fiscal consolidation

The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday that South Africa needed to pursue ambitious fiscal consolidation to restore the sustainability of its public finances. "Durable expenditure-based... 

Russia launches major zinc concentrate plant after delays linked to fire, US sanctions

Russia's new Ozernoye plant, located next to the country's largest zinc mine, launched zinc concentrate production on Wednesday, the company said, after delays caused by a 2023 fire and US... 

South African business confidence gets boost from coalition government, survey shows

South African business confidence rose in the third quarter, helped by improving optimism about the business climate after the formation of a coalition government and stable electricity supply, a... 

Glencore's Peru boss Soyer to step down after Volcan sale, sources say

lencore's head of Peruvian operations is stepping down from her position, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter. Victoria Soyer Toche, the general manager at Glencore Peru, has... 

South Africa business activity rises in August, PMI shows

South African private sector activity rose in August as firms received higher volumes of new orders for the first time since April 2023, a survey showed on Wednesday. The S&P Global South Africa... 

Nigeria and China sign economic, nuclear energy pact

Nigeria and China agreed to strengthen ties in the Belt and Road initiative, human resources development and nuclear energy after the countries' leaders met on Tuesday, a government spokesperson... 

Pertamina NRE, Guma Africa Group sign study agreement on power project

Pertamina New and Renewable Energy (Pertamina NRE), a unit of Indonesian state energy firm Pertamina, has signed a joint study agreement with Guma Africa Group to cooperate on a natural gas and... 

Goldman slashes copper forecast on softening Chinese demand

China’s increasingly disappointing economic recovery will delay an expected rally in copper, said Goldman Sachs Group as it slashed its forecast for next year by almost $5 000/t. The sharp drop in... 

GM delays additional $330m investment in Thacker Pass, Lithium Americas says

Lithium Americas said on Friday automaker General Motors (GM) has delayed the second tranche of investment, worth $330-million, in the miner until the end of the year. GM had announced an... 

Canada rail union launches court challenge to back-to-work order

The union representing workers at Canada's two main rail companies said on Friday it had filed four court challenges against a ruling by the country's industrial labor board that forced them back... 

Congo seeks new buyers for gold mined in eastern provinces

Democratic Republic of Congo is looking for new buyers of gold from its eastern territories after taking full control of Primera Gold which had an exclusive contract to buy and sell gold mined in... 

Liberia closes China Union's Bong Mines for violations, regulator says

Liberia's Environmental Protection Agency shut down on Wednesday the operations of China Union's iron-ore Bong Mines for violating several environmental regulations, the regulatory agency said on... 

South Africa getting to grips with economic reforms, central bank governor says

South Africa is getting to grips with reforms that could lift its economic potential, its central-bank governor said on Thursday, adding that success tackling a longstanding power crisis could spur... 

Ghana to launch 'monster mines' to boost gold production

Africa's top gold producer Ghana will commission its first large-scale greenfield mine in more than a decade in November, with expected annual production of more than 350 000 oz, the head of its...