The MiningWrap BriefNo. 29
Rössing marks 50 years as world's longest-running open-pit uranium mine
The week in African mining — 2 July 2026.
1UraniumRössing marks 50 years as world's longest-running open-pit uranium mineRössing Uranium celebrated 50 years of operation at a ceremony in Swakopmund, with Chinese majority owner CNNC pledging continued investment in the world's longest-running open-pit uranium mine.
2MarketsGold's slump hands South African miners their toughest quarter since 2022Gold's steepest monthly fall since 2008 in June 2026 cut nearly 25% off the JSE's precious metals and mining index in the second quarter, with AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields and Sibanye-Stillwater all sharply lower.
3ExplorationLindian Resources fires first blast as Kangankunde rare earths mining beginsLindian Resources has completed the first production blast at its Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi, starting active mining ahead of a targeted fourth-quarter start-up.
4Manganese & ChromeCourt lets prosecutors permanently seize seven chrome-laden trucksSouth Africa's Asset Forfeiture Unit has permanently seized seven trucks found loaded with chrome ore after a North West High Court order, stemming from a 2025 raid on an illegal mining operation at Marulakop.
5Manganese & ChromeSouth Africa's last manganese smelter goes dark in eMalahleniTransalloys, South Africa's only remaining manganese alloy smelter, stopped all furnace operations on 1 July 2026 after being excluded from the emergency electricity tariff that rescued ferrochrome producers.