Iran war acid squeeze puts up to 125,000t of Congo copper at risk
Wood Mackenzie estimated that sulphur supply disruption from the Iran war could remove up to 125,000 tonnes of copper output in the DRC, as acid prices more than doubled.
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Roy Mulenga
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Zimbabwe gold deliveries hit 2026 high of 3.95 tonnes in May
Zimbabwe delivered 3,951kg of gold to Fidelity Gold Refinery in May 2026, up 18.8% from April and the highest monthly total of the year so far.
Elevate Uranium grows Namibian resource base past 116 million pounds
Elevate Uranium has lifted the uranium resource at its Marenica project in Namibia by 31% to 52.8 million pounds, taking its total Namibian resource base above 116 million pounds.
Caledonia drilling at Motapa points to longer life for Bilboes gold project
Caledonia Mining released 2025 drilling results from its Motapa property in Zimbabwe, including 19m at 8.08g/t, and said a maiden resource would follow in the third quarter of 2026.
ZESCO says Zambia's power supply is stable enough to rule out load shedding
Zambia's power utility ZESCO says the country's electricity supply is stable and nationwide load management will not return this year, citing improved hydro, thermal and solar generation.
BMI cuts platinum and palladium forecasts as car sales shrink
BMI cut its platinum and palladium price forecasts in mid-2026, citing shrinking global car sales and a recovering South African PGM supply chain.
South Africa moves to tax chrome ore exports and require ITAC permits
South Africa's government has proposed a 25% export tax on raw chrome ore and new permitting requirements, aiming to revive a ferrochrome smelting industry that has shrunk from 66 furnaces to just 11.
CMOC threatens dismissal to end illegal strike at Tenke Fungurume
Workers at CMOC's Tenke Fungurume copper-cobalt mine returned to work after the company threatened dismissal over a strike sparked by a disputed labour agreement.
Rising volumes, falling prices: Guinea's 2026 bauxite paradox
Guinea's bauxite exports keep setting records in 2026, but free-on-board prices have slid to around $38-39 a dry tonne as oversupply and rising freight costs squeeze producer margins.
Mali unrest cuts Syama output as Resolute warns of weak second quarter
Resolute Mining said Syama would produce only about 30,000oz in the June quarter, well below the 40,000-45,000oz expected, after security problems in Mali disrupted equipment deliveries and explosives supply.
Mopani declines to use its 100,000t duty-free concentrate export quota
Mopani Copper Mines said it has no plan to export concentrate under Zambia's latest duty waiver, despite receiving the largest allocation of 100,000t, and will instead feed its own smelter.
Transnet completes R4bn tippler upgrade at Saldanha iron-ore terminal
Transnet Port Terminals has finished testing a new R4bn tippler at Saldanha Bay, the terminal that handles about 96% of South Africa's iron-ore exports, with full handover due in September 2026.
Wesizwe Platinum to cut 70% of staff as it abandons phased ramp-up plan
Wesizwe Platinum will cut about 497 of its 706 employees as it scraps a phased ramp-up at its Bakubung mine in favour of jumping directly to 3.5 million tonnes a year of ore.
Kipushi sets new monthly zinc record, stays on track for 2026 guidance
Ivanhoe Mines' Kipushi mine in the DRC set a new monthly zinc production record in May, putting it on course to become the world's fourth-largest zinc producer this year.
Zambia extends copper concentrate export waiver as smelter maintenance drags on
Zambia has extended its 10% export duty waiver on copper concentrate to 30 September 2026, covering almost 272,000 tonnes, as smelter maintenance and outages limit domestic processing capacity.
Central banks resume net gold buying in April as Poland leads again
Central banks made net gold purchases of 19 tonnes in April 2026, World Gold Council data published on 3 June showed, with Poland the largest single buyer.
Simandou shipments jump to 2.2Mt in May as Morébaya port loading improves
Iron ore exports from Guinea's Simandou project reached 2.2 million tonnes in May, up from a record 1.3 million tonnes in April, suggesting bottlenecks at the Morébaya port are starting to ease.
Konkola Copper Mines takes Nchanga smelter offline for 60-day overhaul
Konkola Copper Mines began a planned 60-day maintenance shutdown of its Nchanga smelter on 29 May, with work scheduled to run to 25 July as part of Vedanta's modernisation plan.
Pan African flags record FY2026 gold output near 275,000oz in pre-close update
Pan African Resources said on 1 June 2026 that annual gold production would rise about 40% to roughly 275,000oz, at the lower end of guidance, as surface retreatment operations outperformed a slower Tennant ramp-up.
Theta Gold Mines secures $90m bond to fund Pilgrim's Rest project construction
Theta Gold Mines said on 1 June 2026 it had priced a $90m senior secured bond to fund construction of its TGME gold project at Pilgrim's Rest, targeting first gold in early 2027.
Nersa throws South Africa's ferrochrome smelters a 62c/kWh lifeline
South Africa's energy regulator Nersa has approved a concessionary 62c/kWh electricity tariff for ten ferrochrome smelters run by Samancor and Glencore-Merafe, a 75% discount to Eskom's standard rate.
Rhodium crashes 10% in ten days as surplus fears take hold
Rhodium prices fell about 10% in ten trading days in late May 2026, dropping to around $9,000 an ounce as the market repriced from deficit to expected surplus.
Nersa approves discounted Eskom power rate to save ferrochrome smelters
South Africa's energy regulator has approved a concessionary 62c/kWh Eskom tariff for Samancor Chrome and Glencore-Merafe's ferrochrome smelters, aimed at halting further plant shutdowns.
Elcora agrees to buy a million-ounce gold resource in South Africa's Barberton belt
Elcora Advanced Materials signed a binding agreement on 27 May 2026 to acquire the Eldorado gold mine and tailings in South Africa's Barberton Greenstone Belt for $2m in cash plus shares, marking its entry into gold mine ownership.