FX.co ★ South Africa Mining Activity Picks Up Pace

Mining production in South Africa increased by 4.6% year-on-year in January 2026, accelerating from an upwardly revised 2.8% gain in December. The main positive contributors were platinum group metals (up 10.8%, contributing 2.7 percentage points), chromium ore (up 37.3%, contributing 1.8 points), and manganese ore (up 12.5%, contributing 1.0 point). Gold output also rose, by 0.7%, while diamond production increased 4.2%. In contrast, sharp declines were recorded for copper (-21.7%), other non-metallic minerals (-21.7%), nickel (-4.3%), and building materials (-4.1%). On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, overall mining output grew 2.9%—the strongest increase since May 2025—following a revised 1.6% decline in the previous month.