Southern Palladium said metallurgical test work had more than doubled expected chrome recoveries at its Bengwenyama PGM project to 65%, though incorporating the improvement delayed its feasibility study to the fourth quarter.
World Gold Council data published on 29 April 2026 showed the value of first-quarter gold demand hit a record $193bn, up 74% year-on-year, as bar and coin demand rose 42%.
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.
Perseus Mining completed the first underground production blast at its CMA Underground project beneath the Yaouré mine in Côte d'Ivoire on 28 April 2026.
First Quantum has deferred the conversion of its Guelb Moghrein mine in Mauritania to a gold-only operation until 2027, raising 2026 copper guidance to about 7,000t and cutting gold guidance.
ZESCO has commissioned the 50MW Mansa solar plant in Zambia's Luapula Province, the area's first major generation investment in over 60 years, easing load shedding and supporting local manganese mining.
Implats reported steady March-quarter output that kept it on track for full-year PGM production guidance of 3.4 million to 3.6 million ounces, with sales volumes up 9%.
Ferrochrome production from the Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture fell 95% year on year in the first quarter of 2026 to 13,000 tonnes, as the Boshoek and Wonderkop smelters remained idled over electricity costs.
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.
The US International Development Finance Corporation confirmed in April 2026 it was proceeding with a $50m equity investment in Rainbow Rare Earths' Phalaborwa project, despite a sharp deterioration in US-South Africa relations.
Two of Zambia's largest copper smelters, Mopani and Chambishi, face extended maintenance outages in 2026, threatening copper output and sulphuric acid supply already strained by the Iran war.
A definitive feasibility study has confirmed Sovereign Metals' Kasiya project in Malawi can become the world's largest natural rutile and graphite producer, with a pre-tax NPV of $2.2 billion.
Montage Gold completed its $170m acquisition of African Gold in April 2026, gaining the Didievi project in Cote d'Ivoire to develop alongside its flagship Koné mine, and later secured a $75m Macquarie loan to accelerate it.
Montage Gold has acquired five gold exploration permits covering roughly 2,100 sq km in Mauritania, diversifying beyond its flagship Koné project in Côte d'Ivoire.
AngloGold Ashanti Holdings launched capped cash tender offers on 30 March 2026 to repurchase up to $650m of notes due 2028, 2030 and 2040, reporting strong early participation by the 13 April deadline.
First Quantum Minerals says its $500m, 430MW wind-and-solar project with Total Eren and Chariot for its Kansanshi and Sentinel mines in Zambia remains on track, creating over 1,200 construction jobs.
Ivanhoe Mines shocked investors by cutting 2026 guidance at Kamoa-Kakula to 290,000-330,000 tonnes and 2027 guidance to 380,000-420,000 tonnes, citing a more conservative mine plan.
Tharisa set off its first underground blast at the Apollo portal on 31 March 2026, beginning a transition from open-pit to underground mining that the company says will extend its mine's life by decades.
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.
Kenmare Resources cut 15% of staff at its Moma titanium minerals mine in Mozambique and suspended its dividend after gross profit plunged 79% and a $301.3m impairment pushed it to a $325m net loss.
Central banks bought about 863 tonnes of gold in 2025 and were forecast to buy roughly 850 tonnes in 2026, a pace of official demand that has helped underpin record prices.
Ivanhoe Mines made its first copper export via the Lobito Corridor, shipping high-purity anodes from its new Kamoa-Kakula smelter to Germany's Aurubis for low-carbon refining.
An investigation linked pollution and community health risks near CMOC's Tenke Fungurume copper-cobalt mine to cobalt entering the supply chains of major automakers.
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.
