ARM Bets on Battery Metals with R753m Nkomati Restart
South Africa’s African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) has reported a 19% increase in annual headline earnings to R3.2 billion for the year ended 30 June 2026, driven by sharply higher platinum group metal (PGM) prices. The strong performance has given the board confidence to approve the R753 million restart of the Nkomati nickel mine in Mpumalanga….
China’s BESS surplus ushers bargains for IPPs
China’s domestic energy storage market contracted for the first time in H1 2026, with deployments dropping to 22 GW/59 GWh, while overseas orders surged 83%. For emerging markets like South Africa, this shift could usher in a period of cheaper battery energy storage system (BESS) technologies. South African independent power producers (IPPs) and commercial industrial…
NeoTerra’s Rare Earths Push Faces Mozambique’s New Rules
NeoTerra Group is expanding its Southern African rare earths strategy with a US$1.875 million US‑funded pre‑feasibility study at the Monte Muambe deposit in Mozambique. The project, estimated at 13.6 Mt grading 2.42% rare earth oxides, could deliver neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium – minerals vital for EVs, wind turbines, and defence. A 2023 scoping study…
New Petroleum Act Shifts Control to Domestic Players
WINDHOEK – In a decisive move that echoes a growing continental push for resource sovereignty, Namibia has officially adopted a new National Upstream Petroleum Local Content Policy (NUPLCP) that mandates a minimum of 51% Namibian ownership in oil and gas service companies-with a strict sub-quota of 30% reserved for Historically Disadvantaged Persons. The policy, launched…
Sasol Tightens Coal Supply Strategy as External Purchases Decline
Minin capital could hit ZAR6bn in 2027 Sasol has outlined a plan to reduce external coal purchases from 8.8 Mt in 2026 to between 5–7 Mt in 2027, with a longer-term goal of sourcing 34 Mt internally by 2028. The company’s Secunda Operations are expected to sustain output of 7.2–7.4 Mt annually, supported by improved gasifier availability and a…
US battery storage deployments hit record 20.2GWh
The US energy storage market deployed a record 6.7GW/20.2GWh of battery storage in Q2 2026, more than double the previous quarter, according to the latest US Energy Storage Market Outlook from SEIA and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. Utility-scale projects dominated, accounting for 17.9GWh, including seven projects of at least 1,000MWh in Arizona, California and Utah. Of…
RIO TINTO’S NEW ERA: Simon Trott Takes the Helm
Rio Tinto has announced the appointment of Simon Trott as its new Chief Executive, effective August 25, 2025. He will succeed Jakob Stausholm, who has led the company for nearly five years. Trott, currently the Iron Ore Chief Executive, brings 25 years of experience across various commodities and geographies within Rio Tinto. His tenure as…
IEA REPORT: COAL LEADS SURGING ENERGY Tops $3.3 Trillion
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol: BRICS Nations Prioritise Coal for Domestic Stability The latest International Energy Agency (IEA) World Energy Investment Report (2025) reveals a global energy landscape in flux. While record investments surge into clean energy, a crucial nuance is the continued, even expanding, role of coal in major economies like China and India….
MANTASHE’S TRIPLE WHAMMY: All Show, No Permanence?
While Gwede Mantashe’s “backtracking” offers temporary relief, the mining sector eyes his 2027 departure. Uncertainty reigns, prompting industry to strategise for post-Mantashe policy permanence. ESG Frontiers Mining Policy Lead Lloyd Nedohe reviews. The last couple of weeks truly belonged to South Africa’s Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister, Gwede Mantashe. It felt like a triple whammy…
O’KEEFFE’S DE BEERS BID: MINING VETERAN RETURNS to Southern Africa After Disastrous Rio Tinto Deal
From Mozambique Coal Catastrophe to De Beers Bid: Michael O’Keeffe’s Controversial Comeback in the Diamond Sector. Opinion by Lloyd Nedohe Following the recent successful demerger and listing of its platinum business, Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), in London and Johannesburg, Anglo American has now sharpened its focus on the sale of its diamond unit, De Beers….
