EXCURSION •
PMC Towers. A decade later, Rio Tinto Zinc and Newmont Mining joined forces to form the Palabora Mining Company and the result was copper production from Africa’ s largest manmade hole and the largest open pit mine in the world. The surface mine today boasts a circumference of over 5km and a diameter of nearly 1 900m – almost six times the size of Kimberley ' s famous Big Hole.
From the 1960s to the 80s, the open-pit copper mine and associated processing plants have produced over 2.7 million tons of copper 3 supplying most of South Africa ' s copper needs, while the balance was exported. In the future, the company aims to produce around 60 000 tonnes of refined copper per annum once current expansion plans are complete, and operations are in full production.
In 2013, the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Ltd( IDC) and the Hebei Iron and Steel Group( HBIS Group) took ownership of PMC with 10 % belonging to the Leolo Trust, 10 % to the Palabora Employee Trust and 6 % to the Strategic Empowerment Local Business Trust. 4 The company now focusses on the production of copper rod, vermiculite, magnetite with anode slimes, nickel sulphate and sulfuric acid as byproducts.
Today, PMC has developed a USD410-million underground mine with a production capacity of 30 000 tonnes of ore per day, while an onsite vermiculite deposit is mined and processed for sale globally. The company now operates a large block cave copper mine and smelter complex. Production of continuous cast rod for the domestic market and cathodes for export at the refinery have been put on hold recently to allow for the retrofit of the smelter. Other useful byproduct metals and minerals include zirconium chemicals, magnetite and nickel sulphate as well as small quantities of gold, silver and platinum. Strong future-focussed leadership and a robust capital investment programme has extended the Life of Mine( LOM) by an additional 15 years to 2040, thereby ensuring sustainable operations with immeasurable benefits for the surrounding communities as well as the greater good of the economy of South Africa.
The PMC differentiator Phalaborwa town relies heavily on the sustainability of PMC, and PMC understands the importance of responsible mining and a quest for Zero Harm for sustainability. Aidan Schoonbee, executive manager for PMC’ s Lift II Projects, Concentrator and Vent Shaft, explains,“ PMC is unique in that we are not part of a mining province like the platinum mines or the gold mines
PMC has built a strong bond with both its natural surroundings and the people that make up the ecosystem flourishing in the district.
www. africanmining. co. za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • June 2025 • 19