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.
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.
At London's annual Platinum Week, the World Platinum Investment Council warned against expecting another price doubling, while analysts highlighted AI-linked data storage and green hydrogen as emerging demand sources.
Tharisa reached agreement with Zimbabwe's government on fiscal stability terms for its $545m Karo Platinum project, including a 15% corporate tax rate and the right to remit dollars to service project debt.
The World Platinum Investment Council's Q1 2026 report showed the 2025 platinum deficit revised up to a record 1.1 million ounces, with a further 240,000-ounce shortfall forecast for 2026.
The World Platinum Investment Council recorded a 268koz platinum surplus in the first quarter of 2026 as ETF holders sold and mine supply rebounded, but still forecast a 297koz deficit for the year.
Sylvania Platinum's adjusted EBITDA rose 61% to $47.8m in the March 2026 quarter as the PGM basket price climbed 28%, with the debt-free company on track to beat its full-year production guidance.
Valterra Platinum's first-quarter 2026 production rose 7% year-on-year to 743,500 oz, with Amandelbult up 43% as it recovered from 2025 flooding, while the average basket price hit a five-year high.
Implats confirmed it is evaluating three potential Zimbabwean growth projects, the Hartley Complex, Darwendale and Karo Platinum, alongside its existing Zimplats and Mimosa operations.
Valterra Platinum's annual reporting suite said the hydrogen economy was set to be a broad, strongly growing demand sector for the PGMs it produces, citing partnerships with TotalEnergies and Johnson Matthey.
With PGM prices and producer share prices both sharply higher, South African platinum executives said they remain focused on debt reduction and brownfields projects rather than new mine investment.
Envusa Energy's 240MW Mooi Plaats solar plant has begun commercial operation, supplying wheeled renewable power to Anglo American-linked miners Kumba Iron Ore, De Beers and Valterra Platinum.
Impala Platinum's headline earnings rose 402% in its December half, prompting an interim dividend of R3.7bn that ran to 60% of adjusted free cash flow, double the group's normal payout policy.
Implats is exploring a combined structure for its Eastern Limb platinum mines, arguing that assets north of the Dwarsrivier Fault have rarely been economically attractive on their own.
Anchor Capital's February 2026 local market commentary said the JSE's continued outperformance was driven largely by a precious-metals rally following gold and platinum's January records.
Northam Platinum's headline earnings per share jumped to R15.24 in the six months to December 2025, funding a record R2.8bn interim dividend as PGM prices continued to climb.
Valterra Platinum's first full-year results as an independent company showed headline earnings up 98%, a swing to net cash, and total dividends of R45 a share including a R5.3bn special payout.
Northam Platinum increased its revolving credit facility from R2bn to R13.3bn to accelerate solar, battery storage and power-purchase projects aimed at cutting its reliance on Eskom.
Platinum touched an all-time high of about $2,923 an ounce in late January 2026 before pulling back, with the World Platinum Investment Council warning of further volatility.
Construction at the Karo Platinum project in Zimbabwe progressed with ball mills being installed and a dam expansion under way, as the Tharisa-backed mine works towards planned output of 190,000 oz a year.
Tharisa has guided FY2026 production of 145,000 to 165,000 ounces of platinum group metals and up to 1.65-million tonnes of chrome concentrate, building on a strong fourth quarter at its South African mine.
Valterra Platinum will begin trial underground mining at its Mogalakwena complex by late 2026, testing whether higher-grade ore beneath the Sandsloot pit can extend the mine's life well beyond its open pits.
Anglo American Platinum was demerged from its parent and renamed Valterra Platinum, listing separately in Johannesburg and London as Anglo American retained a residual stake it later sold down.
Ivanhoe Mines reported a $193m annual profit and record copper output at Kamoa-Kakula for 2024, though a backup-power fire and an aggressive platinum expansion plan clouded the outlook.