Platinum mining in South Africa, or mining for Platinum Group Metals (PGM), is widespread on the African continent, and South Africa holds over 80% of the world’s reserves.

For investors interested in the PGM sector in Africa, South Africa seems to be the logical starting point. It has the lion’s share of the continent’s platinum mining projects – in excess of 80 PGM mining projects, the majority held by only 11 platinum mining companies.

Zimbabwe places second with 8 platinum mines and Botswana third with 2. The remaining platinum mining activity on the sub-continent is split, with Gabon, Uganda, Mozambique and Tanzania each having only 1 platinum or PGM mine.

Why Close to 170 companies subscribe to Africa Mining IQ:

The platinum mining industry in South Africa increased production from 163 tons in 2010 to almost 200 tons in 2017, with total sales of over R 9 billion. Africa Mining IQ currently tracks 96 platinum projects across South Africa across all stages of development. As of October 2023 there are:

Africa is one of the most mineral-rich continents in the world. Resources in Africa are still largely untapped and despite the hundreds of mining projects in Africa, there is massive room for growth. The future of mining is in Africa – but not without research and guidance. All our research is available to Africa Mining IQ subscribers.

Africa Mining IQ is the ultimate intelligence resource for platinum mining

South Africa accounts for approximately 80% of the world’s platinum supplies, and its palladium production represents about 40% of the world’s gross production.

PGM is concentrated in South Africa’s 2 billion-year old Bushveld Igneous Complex, especially in complexes found in the Limpopo and North West provinces.

Platinum is found alongside other PGMs. In South Africa's Bushveld complex – and a limited number of other mineral bodies – PGM occurs in adequate quantities so that it is cost-effective to extract these metals exclusively. However, the overall platinum mining process is labour and capital intensive taking half a year or more and 12 tons of ore to produce one troy ounce (31.135 g) of pure platinum.

For up-to-the-minute reporting on platinum and other mining activities in South Africa, read more about a tailored subscription to Africa Mining IQ, the continent’s largest mining information service with over 1 900 mining projects listed. Each project is tracked, analysed and monitored for the duration of its development, from grassroots and pre-feasibility to fully operational and right through to closure.