South Africa’s Mining Production Fell 7.5% Year-On-Year In July 2026

Sizwe Mlotshwa · September 10, 2026 · 150 views 2 min read

Updated: September 10, 2026

South Africa's mining production decreased by 7.5% year-on-year in July, with the largest negative contributors being the platinum group metals (PGMs), coal and iron-ore sectors, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reports. PGM production was down 13.5%, contributing -3.2 percentage points to overall growth, while coal output decreased by 7.5%, contributing -2 percentage points, and iron-ore output by 8.1%, contributing -1.3 percentage points. Further, seasonally adjusted mining production decreased by 1.9% month-on-month in July. This followed month-on-month changes of 0.1% in June and -5.6% in May.

Seasonally adjusted mining production decreased by 5.5% in the three months ended July 2026, compared with the previous three months.

Stats SA's data shows that seasonally adjusted mining production also decreased by 5.5% in the three months ended July, compared with the previous three months. The largest negative contributors were PGMs (-14.3% and contributing -4.2 percentage points); manganese ore (-6.7% and contributing -0.5 of a percentage point); gold (-4.6% and contributing -0.4 of a percentage point); and iron-ore (-2.7% and contributing -0.4 of a percentage point). Meanwhile, mineral sales at current prices decreased by 5.6% year-on-year in July.

The largest negative contributors were gold (-33.4% and contributing -8.5 percentage points); ‘other’ non-metallic minerals (-26% and contributing -0.7 of a percentage point); and nickel (-51.7% and contributing -0.4 of a percentage point). Chromium ore (20 and contributing 1.6 percentage points) and coal (5% and contributing one percentage point) were the largest positive contributors. Seasonally adjusted mineral sales at current prices also decreased by 15.1% month-on-month in July. This followed month-on-month changes of 2% in June 2026 and -5.2% in May.

Over the three months ended July, seasonally adjusted mineral sales at current prices decreased by 10% compared with the previous three months.

Further, seasonally adjusted mineral sales at current prices decreased by 10% in the three months ended July, compared with the previous three months. The July figures indicate broad-based weakness in both mining production and mineral sales, with PGMs, coal and iron ore weighing heavily on production, while gold was the biggest drag on mineral sales.