On July 14, statistics from the Bureau of Statistics showed that in May 2020, due to the impact of the new crown pneumonia on the mining industry, the government stipulated that the mining industry should be allowed to resume production gradually. South Africa’s mining output fell by 29.8% year-on-year, a decrease of less than 47% in April. The biggest factor for the decline was iron ore, which decreased by 66.3%, followed by manganese and platinum group metals, which decreased by 45.4% and 27.3%, respectively.

As of May 2020, mining output adjusted for seasonal factors has decreased by 31.3% compared with the previous three months. At the same time, in May 2020, mineral sales fell by 13.4% year-on-year, and sales of most bulk commodities showed negative growth.

Despite further deregulation in South Africa, many mines have stated that production has not been fully resumed under health and safety agreements aimed at preventing the spread of new coronary pneumonia in mines.

According to the latest data from the Minerals Commission, as of July 13, the death toll caused by the new coronary pneumonia infection in the mineral industry was 35. Editor/Tian Zengpeng