MTE EXHIBITIONS •
HOTAZEL, KATHU AND STEELPOORT WILL SEE MTE IN JULY
By Sharyn Macnamara
Mining and Technical Exhibitions( MTE) returns to Hotazel, Kathu and Steelpoort in July where iron ore and manganese, and platinum and chrome are the order of the day, respectively.
Manganese“ South Africa is home to approximately 80 % of the world’ s known manganese resources, and boasts the largest proven reserves globally. The country is also the world’ s leading producer of manganese ore, accounting for about 40 % of the global export market. Chrome and manganese export volumes increased significantly in 2024. Here it is a combination of the continued use of trucking and some Transnet operational improvement,” noted the Minerals Council. 1
Supplied by C-Chip
An aerial shot of the expanse of an MTE expo.
The MTE Hotazel Mining & Industrial Exhibition will take place on 8 July at Hotazel Rec Club from 13:00 to17:00, followed by the MTE Kathu Mining & Industrial Exhibition at Hoërskool Kathu from 13:00 to17:00 on 10 July. The travelling exhibitions company will then take its valued exhibitors to Steelpoort where it will host its annual highimpact mining and industrial expo on 31 July at the Winterveld Rec Club from 13:00 to 17:00.
In 2024, with continued growth of stainless steel demand in China, South African iron ore, chrome and manganese were in high demand.
Iron ore The iron ore price was under pressure most of the year in 2024, while export volumes improved but are still below the installed capacity of the iron ore railway line, according to the Minerals Council at the start of 2025:“ As a result, companies have had to reduce their production targets, as the existing rail network and port operations cannot support higher production and export levels. The iron ore industry is actively involved with engagement both between Transnet and the Government through the National Logistics Crisis Committee( NLCC) to improve rail performance and allow for private sector participation on the corridors.” 1
Water is an additional challenge for mining operations in the Northern Cape. The Minerals Council’ s Northern Cape Mines Leadership Forum, the Northern Cape provincial government and the Department of Water Affairs have been working to establish a collaborative framework for securing a sustainable, cost effective water supply from the Vaal Gamagara Water Supply Scheme( VGGWSS). This scheme is vital for the region’ s mining operations, including those for iron ore and manganese.
Despite these challenges, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Kumba Iron Ore Limited, a member of the Anglo American plc group and a leading value-adding supplier of high quality iron ore to the global steel industry released its sales figures for Quarter 1 recently. Kumba produces iron ore in South Africa at Sishen and Kolomela mines in the Northern Cape Province and chief executive, Mpumi Zikalala, said,“ We have continued to unlock value through our high-quality iron ore products, achieving an average realised price 11 % above benchmark prices. The 5 % uplift in Transnet’ s rail performance, which supported a 6 % increase in sales volumes, is encouraging. Following this positive start to the year, we are maintaining our production and sales guidance of 35 – 37 million wet metric tonnes( wmt) and our C1 unit cost guidance of ~ USD39 per tonne.” 2
In 2024, an estimated 20.3 million tonnes of manganese was produced with sales for the year at R54.6-billion. That translates to a more than 6 % improvement in production compared to 2023 with a 16.6 % improvement in sales over the same period.
Transnet’ s rail network currently has the capacity to transport approximately 16 million tonnes of manganese ore annually. However, with total annual exports reaching about 23 million tonnes, 7 million tonnes of manganese ore are diverted to road transport.
Responding to softer market conditions and the current dynamics of supply and demand, United Manganese of Kalahari( UMK) announced in April its choice to exclusively use rail transport for manganese exports. At present, UMK accounts for approximately 12.5 % of South Africa ' s manganese exports and is the country ' s second largest manganese mine, extracting manganese from an open pit mine located in the Kalahari region, close to Hotazel in the Northern Cape manganese fields. 3
The company noted that manganese ore inventories at Chinese ports were at an all-time low in April, and interestingly, prices for semicarbonate ore were still declining despite these low stocks. As a result, the company has determined that China’ s upstream ore market is adapting to a more streamlined supply chain, showing increased flexibility regarding lower stock levels at the ports. It is clear that ongoing weak steelmaking activity is limiting the potential for manganese ore prices to rise. The uncertainty created by ore export quotas and tariffs aimed at encouraging beneficiation, as mentioned by honourable Minister Mantashe, is expected to affect South Africa ' s manganese ore supply.
Chrome Minerals Council stated that South Africa maintained its position as the world’ s leading producer of chromite ore in 2024, with output exceeding 22 million tonnes. In 2024, production rose by approximately 16.5 % yearon-year, reaching around 22.9 million tonnes. Sales increased by 13.9 % compared to 2023, climbing to R65.1-billion from the previous year’ s R57.2-billion. Although the average chrome price declined year-on-year per metric tonne, higher production volumes drove a corresponding increase in sales, aligning with the rise in output.
“ It is clear to see why our Northern Cape and Steelpoort shows have been so popular over the thirty years we have been offering our travelling expo concept in SADC. Despite global uncertainties and local infrastructure and water challenges, these areas are rich in both commodities and opportunities, and the shows continue to bare fruits for our exhibiting companies,” says Andrew Macnamara, operations director at MTE. •
References:
1. Minerals Council South Africa, Facts and Figures Pocketbook, 2024 2. Kumba production and sales report for the first quarter ended 31 March 2025 3. Press release: UMK shifts back to rail only due to a decline in ore demand,
April 2025
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