SMM8: mining production in South Africa fell 28.2% in June compared with the same period last year, according to the South African Bureau of Statistics.
The country's mineral sales fell 14.2% in June from a year earlier, with gold falling the most, followed by coal, other non-metallic minerals and platinum group metals.
The South African Bureau of Statistics says the epidemic and the resulting blockade regulations have had a profound impact on the country's economic activity since March 27, 2020. April was the worst month for south Africa's mining industry, with output falling 47 per cent except for mines that supply coal to (Eskom), a state-owned power producer, mainly because of the strictest blockade policy at the time.
In May, the mine was allowed to resume production at 50 per cent capacity.
South Africa has the richest deposits of precious minerals and basic metals in the world. The mining industry is an important part of South Africa's economy, contributing 8 per cent of South Africa's gross domestic product and generating 45 per cent of foreign exchange earnings.
In response to the epidemic, the South African government began to implement the most stringent five-level "city closure" measures nationwide on March 26, and then downgraded it to level IV and level III on May 1 and June 1, respectively. South African President Ramaphosa announced in a televised speech on the evening of the 15th that the South African government will further relax the "city closure" measures and downgrade the "city closure" level from the current third level to the second level.
Ramaphosa said that in the past three weeks, the spread of the novel coronavirus epidemic in South Africa has slowed down, from a peak of 12000 new confirmed cases in a single day to about 5000, while the recovery rate has risen to 80 per cent. At present, the number of novel coronavirus patients hospitalized nationwide is about 4000, down 60 percent from the beginning of August. There are signs that the peak of the epidemic in South Africa is over. Therefore, the government decided to further relax the "city closure" measures from the 17th, and the level of "city closure" was lowered to level II.
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