A tailings dam at Samancor's Dikwena chrome operation near Brits collapsed on 13 August 2026 after heavy rain, releasing a multi-kilometre trail of mineral waste and damaging Eskom infrastructure.
South Africa's high-carbon ferrochrome exports fell 20.8% in July 2026 as Chinese purchases dropped 27.2% month on month, while Japan's imports jumped to overtake Italy and South Korea as the second-largest buyer.
Sibanye-Stillwater chief executive Richard Stewart has pivoted the group away from its earlier global diversification strategy back toward its South African PGM operations and a planned doubling of chrome output.
Merafe Resources reported first-half 2026 profit of R512m, more than double the previous year, as a 75% jump in chrome ore sales and firmer prices offset a 75% fall in ferrochrome production.
Even as Durban wins praise as the world's most-improved port, chrome and ferrochrome exporters face vessel waits of up to four days and inland corridor delays that erase much of the gain.
Tharisa produced 39,600oz of PGMs in its third quarter to June 2026, up from 34,300oz, and kept full-year guidance, while warning that chrome prices had eased on weaker stainless steel demand.
Northam Platinum produced a record 1.69Mt of chrome concentrate in FY2026, with Eland's output up 49.5%, while refined PGM output from its own mines rose 4.4% to 938,754oz.
South 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.
Transalloys, 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.
The Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture will restart its Boshoek and Wonderkop ferrochrome smelters after finalising the detailed terms of a 62c/kWh electricity agreement with Eskom.
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.
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.
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.
The Limpopo High Court granted a R4.5m forfeiture order against vehicles linked to suspected illegal chrome mining in the Sekhukhune district, after Hawks investigators seized trucks used to move stolen ore.
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.
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.
Samancor Chrome issued a Section 189 retrenchment notice in March 2026 covering the majority of its 2,403 smelter and corporate employees, blaming unsustainable electricity costs across six South African smelters.
Chinese buyers imported a record 12.5-million tonnes of South African chrome ore across 2025, up 23.8% year on year, as South Africa's total chrome ore exports rose 15.7% to 23.77-million tonnes.
Tharisa set FY2026 guidance of 145,000 to 165,000 oz of PGMs and 1.5 to 1.65 million tonnes of chrome concentrate, building on a strong fourth quarter at its South African mine.
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.
