South Africa’s Platinum Mining History
PGMs are used in a wide range of industrial, commercial, and residential applications. PGMs are used in the automotive industry to clean exhaust emissions, as well as in electric fuel cell technology.
They are used in addition to their practical applications as jewelry due to their purity, strength, resistance to fading, and ability to hold precious stones securely. Anglo American Platinum continues to invest in energy efficiency and reduction opportunities at its PGMs operations. The Mogalakwena mine is the world’s first publicly audited mine.
We use our technological capabilities to innovate on end-user applications and markets. Natascha Viljoen had been with Anglo American since 2014 and had been in charge of its Processing division. Prior to joining Lonmin, she spent six years as executive vice president of Processing. Natascha is a metallurgical engineer with a Bachelor of Engineering and an Executive MBA from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
South African platinum producers have been cut back on investment in mines that account for 75% of global supply over the last decade, as power and water shortages, combined with erratic government policies, have disrupted their operations.
The North West Province has a unique advantage in the mining industry. The platinum province accounts for 94% of South Africa’s platinum production, 46% of its granite production, and 25% of its gold production. The province is heavily reliant on mining, accounting for more than a third of its gross domestic product.
Amandelbult Mine Amandelbult Mine, located in Polokwane, South Africa, is an underground mine. Greenfield’s platinum production is expected to reach 307 thousand ounces by 2020, thanks to the mine’s owner, Anglo American.
Anglo American Platinum (AQPSA) and Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) signed a PSA agreement in 2005, pooling 50% ownership of the mine. The mine is run by a company called AQPSA. AQPSA operates a mine in South Africa called Marikana, which is its second mine.
Does South Africa Produce Platinum?
Platinum is the most valuable mineral on the planet, accounting for one-third of total production in South Africa. South Africa produced around 43 million ounces of platinum in 2018.
How Much Platinum Is Left In South Africa?
In 2021, Zimbabwe will have the world’s largest reserves of platinum group metals (in metric tons), followed by South Africa (63,000 metric tons), Russia (41,500 metric tons), and the United States (2900 rows).
South Africa’s Rich Seam Of Platinum Group Metals
Platinum group metals are most commonly found in the Marikana area of South Africa’s Rustenburg District. Platinum and Palladium are among the most commonly found platinum group metals in PGMs. Approximately 63,000 metric tons of platinum group metals have been discovered in the country.
How Many Platinum Mines In South Africa
There are currently six producing platinum mines in South Africa, as well as several non-operational mines. This number is expected to decrease in the coming years, as many of the country’s platinum mines are nearing the end of their life spans. South Africa has been the world’s largest producer of platinum for over a century, and the metal is an important part of the country’s economy.
It is 112 kilometers from Johannesburg to the east of Rustenburg. The mine has a proven and probable reserve of 15.61 million tonnes of platinum, palladium, Rhodite, and gold (4E), with grades ranging from 3.40 g/t to 4.04 g/t. In June 2012, the mine had mineral reserves of 1.57 million ounces. Mineralised zones are located on both sides of the 4 shaft orebody, the Main and Leader seams.
The geology of the mine is different from that of the Marikana mine, which stretches northward. The method for mining is based on bord and pillar mining. Hand-held drilling and bolting are used to mine for gold in some areas of the mine, but it is still partially mechanized. One thousand twenty two hundred twenty-two tons of ore are processed per month at Marikana.
The recovered ore is crushed in a large gyratory crusher at three stages of operation. Modikwa Platinum Mine, which is located between Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, is situated on the border of these two provinces. The Phoenix Platinum Project includes the mining of PGMs (phytoplankolites).
