SMM7, March 20: despite further deregulation in South Africa in May, many mines have not yet fully resumed production, according to the South African Bureau of Statistics. The country's mining production fell 29.8 per cent in May from a year earlier, with iron ore production falling the most, falling 66.3 per cent, manganese production down 45.4 per cent and platinum group metals production down 27.3 per cent.

From March to May, South Africa's seasonally adjusted mining production fell by 31.3% from a year earlier.

Meanwhile, mineral sales in South Africa fell 13.4 per cent in May 2020 from a year earlier, with negative growth in most commodity sales.

According to the latest data from the Minerals Commission, as of July 13, the death toll from Covid-19 infection in the country's mining industry was 35. Of the 26380 tests conducted, a total of 4495 employees tested positive for the new crown virus.

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