Eastplats Reports Weaker Second Quarter 2026 Results as PGM Production Declines

The latest market assessment from Heraeuss, a global precious metals and materials company, indicates that South African PGM mine supply saw a significant recovery in H1 2026, but the current growth more reflects a normalization after the severe weather disruptions in 2025 rather than the industry entering a new cycle of sustained production growth. Heraeus expects global platinum mine production in 2026 to remain roughly flat at 5.2 million ounces.

[SMM Flash] South Africa’s PGM-rich mining communities face a widening digital divide despite supplying minerals increasingly important to the global technology and energy transition. Communities in Marikana and Kroondal in North West continue to experience limited fibre connectivity, unreliable networks and high mobile-data costs. For young people facing high unemployment, inadequate internet access is becoming a barrier to job applications, digital skills development and participation in the broader digital economy. The situation highlights concerns over how the benefits of the digital and energy transitions are distributed across mineral supply chains. While data centres and technology companies expand infrastructure in major cities, PGM-producing communities remain comparatively underserved. Mining companies have introduced initiatives including digital resource centres and free Wi-Fi at schools, but residents say coverage remains inadequate. The disparity raises a broader question over the meaning of a just transition: communities supplying the minerals that support AI, data centres and clean-energy technologies should also have meaningful access to the digital opportunities created by these industries.