FX.co ★ South Africa Mining Sector Rebounds Slightly

In May 2025, South Africa's mining production experienced a modest increase of 0.2% compared to the previous year, marking a recovery from the substantial decline of 7.7% recorded in April and concluding a six-month period of downturn. The most significant contributor to this growth was iron ore, which surged by 12.5%, an improvement from the 7.4% increase observed in April, thereby adding 1.7 percentage points to the overall figure. Other notable increases were seen in nickel, with a substantial rise of 19.1% following a previous decline of 21.9%, along with other metallic minerals, which grew by 11.4% after a previous increase of 16.5%, and diamonds, which rose by 7.7% compared to a 10% increase earlier. On a seasonally adjusted basis, monthly mining output improved by 3.7% in May, following a revised stagnation in the prior month. Over the three-month period ending in May 2025, mining production rose by 2.6% compared to the preceding three-month timeframe.