South Africa’s mining sector recorded modest production growth in June 2025, but tumbling mineral sales exposed fresh pressures on the industry. According to new data from Statistics South Africa, overall mining output rose 2.4% compared to June last year, driven by a 3.0% gain in platinum-group metals, a 3.7% rise in coal, and a 9.0% jump in chromium ore. Platinum-group metals alone added one percentage point to annual growth, underscoring their continued importance to the sector.

Seasonally adjusted figures show output nudged up 0.2% between May and June, while second-quarter production was 3.9% higher than the previous quarter. Gains were anchored by strong performances in platinum-group metals, gold, and chromium ore.

Despite these advances, mineral sales at current prices fell sharply; down 14.4% year on year. The decline was led by a dramatic 53.7% plunge in gold sales, a 33.7% fall in manganese ore, and a 5.5% drop in coal. Platinum-group metals were a rare bright spot, with sales up 23.5%. While June sales dipped 6.6% from May, total mineral sales in the second quarter still ended 6.6% higher than in the first. The lens on these figures shows how volatility in commodity markets continues to challenge the mining industry’s recovery. Long-term growth will depend on adapting to demand shifts and market uncertainty.