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Zimplats to offer voluntary task cuts after platinum price thrashing

Impala Platinum's Zimbabwe unit Zimplats stated on Wednesday it is using voluntary job cuts in a bid to protect business from the effect of a sharp fall in platinum group metal (PGM) rates.

Zimplats did not state how many of the 8,000 irreversible and agreement jobs were targeted under the planned cuts.

The company, which swung to an unusual $8.8 million loss in the six months to December 2023, from a $159.6 million profit previously, stated it was seriously examining its business in the middle of declining metal costs.

Unfortunately, labour optimisation initiatives should be carried out urgently to secure the business, and the bulk of tasks in the company, Zimplats said in a declaration.

Southern African PGM miners, including Zimplats' moms and dad company Impala, Sibanye Stillwater and Anglo American Platinum have actually rushed to cut costs, and countless jobs, after earnings slumped as metal prices plunged over the past year due to weak car production and issues about a. global economic downturn.

Zimbabwe's other PGM mines, Unki mine, owned by Anglo. American Platinum, and Mimosa, a joint endeavor in between Impala. and Sibanye Stillwater, are also implementing task cuts.

Mimosa has likewise halted its $100 million North Hill growth. task, while Impala, which announced a 10-year $1.8 billion. growth task at Zimplats in 2021, is delaying long term. schemes such as sulphur reduction and renewable energy.

Tharisa Plc has postponed by a year the commissioning. of its $361 million Karo platinum mine in Zimbabwe, which was. arranged for June 2024, due to the low metal costs.

(source: Reuters)