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South Africa's platinum mining industry in terminal decline, Northam CEO says

South Africa's platinum mining market has gone into a phase of irreversible decline as producers fight with low costs and need suffers from the increase of battery electric lorries, Northam Platinum CEO Paul Dunne said on Friday.

The cost of the white metal utilized mostly in autocatalysts, which once topped $2,000 an ounce, has moved 13%. given that the beginning of in 2015 to $939 an ounce.

Northam stated on Thursday its heading incomes per share. fell 81.6% in the year to end June to 4.45 rand ($ 0.2506) from. 24.15 rand previously, mainly due to lower costs.

The cost of platinum's sibling metal palladium also fell. 40% in 2023 and is down 10% up until now this year, while rhodium is. trading around $4,750 an ounce, well listed below its 2021 peak of. almost $30,000 an ounce.

Shares in South Africa's 4th largest platinum miner were. down 8.2% by 1321 GMT.

Platinum output in South Africa, the world's top supplier of. the metal, has actually been gradually decreasing considering that a peak of about. 5.3 million ounces in 2006, according to data from Johnson. Matthey.

Dunne said he expects South African output to fall by about. 10% over the next five years to around 3.5 million ounces from. some 3.9 million ounces presently.

He said however he anticipates Northam's output to stabilise at. around 1 million ounces a year, a long-lasting target for the. group, which produced just under 900,000 ounces in the year to. June 30. Northam has been ramping up production at the Eland. mine which it purchased in 2017.

South African production has been weighed down by years of. under-investment in new mines, while development in battery-powered. automobiles has hurt need, Dunne said.

We haven't changed that property base and the property base is a. depleting property, all mines are depleting assets from the first day,. Dunne said. This will worsen the natural deficiency of South. Africa's aging shafts.

The CEO approximates that, industry-wide, platinum output will. most likely decline by 500,000 ounces every five years as investors. balk at investing in developing new mines.

South Africa's platinum miners, amongst the nation's largest. foreign currency earners, utilize more than 181,000 employees. directly.

The sector's decrease mirrors that of South Africa's gold. mining industry, which was as soon as the world's largest, now. ranks 12th worldwide, according to the World Gold Council.

Impala Platinum CEO Nico Muller said on Thursday it. was highly improbable that new mines could be built in South. Africa as low metal prices continue to batter the industry.

South Africa's platinum mines, some of which are the world's. deepest, are not extremely mechanised and for that reason costly to. run.

(source: Reuters)