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Subscribe to the Mail & Guardian newspaper or the M&G Online ’s free email newsletter and get 15% discount on books at the Exclusive Books website. South Africa?s 2006 total mineral sales of R195,6-billion represented a more than 34% increase over the previous year?s figure of R145-billion and illustrates the industry?s more effective exploitation of the global commodities boom, reported outgoing president Lazarus Zim in the presidential address to the Chamber of Mines of South Africa?s annual general meeting in November last year. Looking at the diamond sector, production declined by 2,6% in 2006, but the value of sales remained constant at just more than R10-billion. The fifth largest component of the South African minerals industry is the iron ore sector, which recorded total sales valued at R9,9-billion last year. In other commodities there was a 98% growth in nickel sales to R7,8-billion and a similar 92% growth in copper sales, which amounted to R5-billion. read more

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