Johannesburg - based mining technical consulting company SRK Consulting says despite the industry grappling with commodity price cycle shocks, new mines have been built in South Africa and the rest of the continent, signalling growth.
Andrew van Zyl, director and principal mining engineer at SRK Consulting, noted while the platinum sector is under strain, there are some positive signs as new operations have been developed in South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Namibia and Zambia.
''In South Africa there are not as many new mines as we would like to see, but we are seeing new copper, platinum, and gold operations that have started up in the last few years.
"While I would not call it a boom, there have been new mines started in a number of commodities, despite challenges".
New mines include Ivanhoe's Platreef Mine in Limpopo, and Orion Minerals' Okiep Copper Mine in the Northern Cape, while De Beers has extended the life of its Venetia Diamond Mine in Limpopo by converting it to an underground mine.
Early project evaluations also included the feasibility study for Shell's Pering Mine, while one of its key projects was the extension of Buffalo Fluorspar Mine, which was facing closure because the main ore body was becoming depleted.
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