Sibanye increases offer for Lonmin

Dual-listed Sibanye-Stillwater and platinum miner Lonmin on Thursday announced that their boards have reached an agreement on the terms of an increased recommended all-share offer for Lonmin’s... 

Stable oil price drives investment in burgeoning African oil, gas sector

Africa is likely to experience continued oil and gas investment over the next three to five years as the stabilisation of crude prices above $60/bl, coupled with the continent’s rapidly expanding... 

Acacia swings to first-quarter loss on operational challenges, lower production

London-listed Acacia Mining, which has various operations in Tanzania, has posted an adjusted net loss of $7-million for the quarter ended March 31, compared with adjusted net earnings of... 

ExxonMobil acquires more exploration acreage off Namibian coast

US oil giant ExxonMobil will increase its exploration acreage in Namibia by about 28 000 km2 following the signing of an agreement with the Namibian government and State-owned National Petroleum... 

Power disruptions hinder Amplats’ first quarter production

Anglo American Platinum’s first-quarter production was significantly impacted on by power disruptions, with total platinum group metal production down 6% year-on-year. The year-on-year dip to 998... 

Vodacom, MTN shares fall on outcome of Competition Commission's data market inquiry

The share prices of South Africa's two largest mobile operators, MTN and Vodacom, fell on Wednesday, after the Competition Commission announced that international benchmarking had confirmed that... 

Many companies still procuring unsuitable protective equipment for female mineworkers

The number of women working in the mining sector has increased significantly over the past 17 years, with the numbers growing from 11 400 in 2002 to over 53 100 today, comments female footwear... 

First user experience lab on African continent opens

Global consulting firm Nihilent officially launched its first user experience (UX) laboratory on the African continent on Thursday. The facility, located in Bryanston, is the second of its kind... 

Investor sentiment contradicting diamond market fundamentals

Lukewarm investor sentiment for natural diamonds seems to contradict the stable demand and favourable supply forecasts for natural diamonds, US-based diamond analyst Paul Zimnisky notes in a... 

Majority of B2Gold’s mines outperform guidance in strong first quarter

TSX-listed B2Gold exceeded its first-quarter production and sales guidance by 6%, producing 230 859 oz and selling 232 076 oz of gold. The Fekola, Masbate, Otjikoto and El Limon mines all exceeded... 

Saice requests Ramaphosa’s urgent intervention to address construction site attacks

The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice) has joined other industry bodies in strongly condemning the recent spate of alleged “mafia-style” coordinated gang activity on project... 

PIC raises Texton stake to 18.9%

State-owned investment management company, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) increased its beneficial shareholding in JSE-listed real estate investment trust Texton Property Fund to 18.9%.... 

African Rainbow Capital acquires QED for undisclosed amount

Empowerment investment holding company African Rainbow Capital (ARC) on Wednesday announced plans to acquire a majority shareholding in independent actuarial advisory business QED for an... 

Nzimande requests George IPTN Phase 4B suspension

Transport Minister Dr Blade Nzimande has requested the Western Cape provincial government to suspend plans to roll out Phase 4B of the George Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN). This was in... 

Geopolitical, economic uncertainty pushes European ETPs to record high in first quarter – WGC

Since the start of 2016, assets in European gold-backed exchange-traded products (ETPs) have grown rapidly, hitting a record high of 1 121.4 t ($48-billion) in the first quarter of this year, the... 

Sapref’s new R50m reactor to enable better low-sulphur diesel production

The South African Petroleum Refinery’s (Sapref’s) new R50-million reactor arrived at the Durban port earlier this week. The 242 t, 31-m-long reactor will enable Sapref, which is a joint venture... 

Kibali to break more records this year – Bristow

The Kibali gold mine – ranked among the world’s top ten gold mines – has “made a strong start” to this year after having set a new production record in 2018, Barrick Gold president and CEO Mark... 

Class action summons issued against Tiger Brands

Packaged goods company Tiger Brands on Wednesday confirmed receipt of a summons in respect of a class action lawsuit seeking damages for the 2018 listeriosis outbreak. The Johannesburg High Court... 

Steel demand growth rates to moderate in line with slowing global economic growth

Global steel demand is expected to increase by 1.3% year-on-year to 1.74-billion tonnes this year, the World Steel Association’s (worldsteel’s) ‘April 2019 Short Range Outlook’ shows. Demand is... 

Gold output to reach record high this year – report

Gold production increased for the tenth consecutive year in 2018 to 107.3-million ounces and is expected to reach a new record high of 109.6-million ounces this year, S&P Global Market Intelligence... 

Sanbrado optimised study predicts 300 000 oz in first year – West African

Sydney-listed West African Resources has increased its forecast yearly gold production from the Sanbrado mine, in Burkina Faso, following an optimised feasibility study. Announcing the results of... 

Santos makes significant offshore gas discovery at Corvus

Energy company Santos on Tuesday announced the successful appraisal of the Corvus field, offshore Western Australia, with Corvus-2 confirming a significant gas resource in the Carnarvon basin. The... 

Canadian junior miners losing out to cannabis companies – BDO Global

Equity markets have “fallen out of love with junior miners” of late as investors have been lured to other sectors, specifically into cannabis stocks, notes a report by auditing and business... 

New ways of determining workers’ fitness for work urged amid changing laws and attitudes towards cannabis

Changing societal perceptions, combined with more and more countries legalising cannabis use, means that companies should adapt traditional methods of determining whether employees are fit for... 

BME secures Alaskan coal mine contract

Explosives and blasting specialist BME’s US segment has been awarded a contract by Usibelli Coal Mine (UCM) in Alaska to supply explosive products and accessories. Part of the South Africa-based... 

Sibanye-Stillwater commits additional R30m to Wits Digimine

Sibanye-Stillwater has committed an additional R30-million over three years, to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Mining Institute’s Digital Mining Laboratory. The announcement was made on... 

Research bodies turning to technology to reverse decline of deep-level mining

The outlook for South Africa’s deep-level mining sector over the next ten years is bleak, without drastic change, comments Mandela Mining Precinct co-director Navin Singh. This is because of... 

Research bodies turning to technology to reverse decline of deep-level mining

The outlook for South Africa’s deep-level mining sector over the next ten years is bleak, without drastic change, comments Mandela Mining Precinct co-director Navin Singh. This is because of... 

Nihilent opens first user experience lab on African continent

Global consulting firm Nihilent officially launched its first user experience (UX) laboratory on the African continent on Thursday. The facility, located in Bryanston, is the second of its kind... 

Chinese OEM reaffirms commitment to Africa

Chinese original equipment manufacturer Dadi Engineering Development Group (DEDG), 49% owner of vibrating equipment solutions provider Aury Africa, demonstrated its commitment to the African market... 

Mining stakeholders unable to assess effectiveness of sustainability investments – analyst

Companies face immense pressure to positively contribute to the alleviation of pressing environmental, social and economic issues, owing to combined expectations and scrutiny of asset managers,... 

Top research award for Wits academic

The National Research Foundation (NRF) has awarded another accolade to the School of Mining Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) by awarding a C2 rating to staff member... 

Eastplats generates first revenue since 2013

After having revitalised the company, TSX-listed platinum miner Eastern Platinum (Eastplats) plans to continue creating shareholder value this year, CEO Diana Hu said in a statement on Wednesday.... 

Rhodes’ regional growth continues despite consumer slowdown

Despite the continued challenging trading environment, Rhodes Food Group managed to increase turnover in its regional segment (Africa) by 8.2% for the five months ended February 28, the company... 

B2Gold approves Fekola expansion

Dual-listed B2Gold on Tuesday announced “very positive” results from a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for the expansion of its Fekola mine, in Mali. Consequently, the company will be... 

Port Elizabeth port’s tanker berth back in operation

Repairs to the tanker berth at Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA’s) Port Elizabeth port have been successfully completed ahead of schedule.  The berth has been successfully recertified by a... 

WGC opens consultations on draft Responsible Gold Mining Principles

Gold industry market development organisation, the World Gold Council (WGC), on Tuesday launched the exposure draft of its Responsible Gold Mining Principles, which establish a new framework with... 

Corruption Watch calls for enquiry into misadministration of mining royalties

Civil society organisation Corruption Watch (CW) has recommended that a commission of enquiry be established to determine the scope and degree of alleged misadministration and misappropriation of... 

SAB to expand water-saving collaborations to more municipalities

South African Breweries (SAB) hopes to expand its water-saving collaboration efforts with municipalities to more water-stressed communities across South Africa, after achieving significant... 

Jubilee set to acquire Sable Zinc refinery

Dual-listed Jubilee Metals on Friday announced that it has executed a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of the Sable Zinc refinery in Kabwe, Zambia. The refinery is situated immediately...