Liesl Peyper
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Articles by Liesl Peyper
AI, robots and shrinking supply drive Northam’s PGM growth plans
Northam Platinum CEO, Paul Dunne Northam Platinum is betting that new uses for platinum group metals in artificial intelligence, data storage, electronics and robotics will add to demand at a time when South African mine supply is falling. CEO Paul Dunne said during the miner’s annual results presentation on Friday that the company remained positive on platinum as well as rhodium, iridium and ruthenium, as new industrial applications emerge alongside established demand from the automotive sector.
Higher PGM prices drive Northam earnings and record payout
Paul Dunne, CEO Northam Platinum NORTHAM Platinum reported a sharp rise in annual profit after higher platinum group metal prices lifted revenue and cash generation, allowing the miner to declare a record final dividend of R10 a share, up from R2 a share last year. Together with the R7 interim dividend, Northam’s total dividend for the year amounts to R17 a share. The board also increased its minimum annual dividend payout to 40% of headline earnings from 25%.
Northam posts record payout after sharp earnings rise
Paul Dunne, CEO Northam Platinum NORTHAM Platinum reported a sharp rise in annual profit after higher platinum group metal prices lifted revenue and cash generation, allowing the miner to declare a record final dividend of R10 a share, up from R2 a share last year. Together with the R7 interim dividend, Northam’s total dividend for the year amounts to R17 a share. The board also increased its minimum annual dividend payout to 40% of headline earnings from 25%.
Harmony Gold sticks with gold hedging strategy after R10bn hit
Beyers Nel, CEO, Harmony Gold. Photographer: Dwayne Senior/Bloomberg via Getty Images HARMONY Gold says its hedging strategy continues to make sense after analysts questioned the approach following a nearly R10bn realised loss on its gold hedge book. The issue was raised during an analyst call on Thursday, against the backdrop of higher gold prices and the significant difference between spot prices and some of the prices at which Harmony previously hedged production.
Harmony dividend soars as earnings jump 87%
Beyers Nel, CEO, Harmony Gold HARMONY Gold reported a sharp increase in earnings in FY26 as a higher gold price and the first contribution from its newly acquired CSA copper mine boosted its financial performance. The miner generated a record amount of cash during the year, with adjusted free cash flow rising 54% to R17.15bn from R11.14bn, driven by the higher average gold price received and copper sales from CSA. The strong cash generation supported Harmony’s highest-ever final dividend.
Harmony Gold dividend soars as earnings jump 87%
Beyers Nel, CEO, Harmony Gold HARMONY Gold reported a sharp increase in earnings in FY26 as a higher gold price and the first contribution from its newly acquired CSA copper mine boosted its financial performance. The miner generated a record amount of cash during the year, with adjusted free cash flow rising 54% to R17.15bn from R11.14bn, driven by the higher average gold price received and copper sales from CSA. The strong cash generation supported Harmony’s highest-ever final dividend.
Valterra silent on Northam as deal speculation mounts
Photo: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko VALTERRA Platinum is increasingly considered the possible source of an unsolicited approach to Northam Platinum, with analysts pointing to the strategic fit between the companies’ assets and processing capacity. Northam disclosed on Tuesday that it had received an unsolicited, exploratory and non-binding approach from an unnamed major South African PGM producer for either an asset-level or corporate transaction.
Perseus opens the taps on shareholder returns
Craig Jones, MD, Perseus Mining PERSEUS Mining has unveiled a more generous dividend policy after record cash generation in its 2026 financial year, promising shareholders a minimum 20% of operating cash flow while retaining scope for additional dividends, buybacks and capital returns.
Gold Fields sticks to 2029 Windfall target despite permit delay
Mike Fraser, CEO, Gold Fields GOLD Fields still expects first gold from its Windfall project in Canada in 2029 despite delays in getting environmental approval that have eaten into the summer construction season, CEO Mike Fraser said on Tuesday. The group has also provided more detail on why the expected cost of building Windfall has moved towards the upper end of its previous $1.7bn to $1.9bn estimate.
Northam seeks bids amid “exploratory” offer from rival
A flag flies at the Northam Platinum Ltd. Booysendal platinum mine outside the town of Lydenburg in Mpumalanga, South Africa. NORTHAM Platinum has enlisted offers for either a corporate- or asset- deal after disclosing on Tuesday it had received an “exploratory” offer for the company from a rival platinum group metal miner.
Gold Fields flags Ghana risk as profits surge
Gold Fields' Tarkwa mine, Ghana Gold Fields has warned that uncertainty over the renewal of mining leases at its Tarkwa mine in Ghana could have a “material and adverse” impact on the company. This caution comes as higher gold prices and stronger production drove a sharp increase in profit for the six months ended 30 June 2026.
Gold Fields flags Ghana risk as profits surge
Gold Fields' Tarkwa mine, Ghana Gold Fields has warned that uncertainty over the renewal of mining leases at its Tarkwa mine in Ghana could have a “material and adverse” impact on the company. This caution comes as higher gold prices and stronger production drove a sharp increase in profit for the six months ended 30 June 2026.
Atomic Eagle returns to Niger’s Madaouela uranium project
ATOMIC Eagle has agreed terms with the Republic of Niger to re-establish its interest in the Madaouela uranium project, which hosts a mineral resource of 116.5 million pounds of uranium oxide (U₃O₈), based on a foreign estimate. The agreement, known as a Mining Convention, sets out the new ownership arrangements, with Atomic Eagle holding a 60% interest and operational control and the Niger government holding 40%.
Northam heads for record earnings on PGM price surge
A flag flies at the Northam Platinum Ltd. Booysendal platinum mine outside the town of Lydenburg in Mpumalanga, South Africa. NORTHAM Platinum is set to report record full-year earnings, with sharply higher PGM prices providing much of the lift. The PGM producer is due to publish audited results for the year ended June on 28 August, following a trading statement released earlier this month. The update indicated a 64% rise in sales revenue and more than a sevenfold increase in headline earnings.
Let mine waste pay for mining’s cleanup, says Niël Pretorius
Niël Pretorius, CEO, DRDGold DRDGOLD CEO Niël Pretorius has spent much of the past two decades trying to show that cleaning up the legacy of South Africa’s gold mining industry does not simply have to be an expense. The gold tailings retreatment company’s latest results, announced on Wednesday, 19 August, are a case in point. Annual profits nearly doubled to R4.3bn in the year to end-June, it generated R2.3bn in free cash flow and finished the year debt-free with almost R2.8bn in cash.
SA coal exports may hit 75Mt supply ceiling, says Exxaro
Ben Magara, CEO, Exxaro Resources SOUTH Africa’s coal industry may struggle to supply more than about 75 million tonnes a year to the Richards Bay export corridor even if Transnet restores rail capacity above that level, Exxaro Resources CEO Ben Magara said. That could leave extra export capacity for producers such as Exxaro.
Exxaro lifts Grootegeluk rail shipments 50%
Ben Magara, CEO, Exxaro Resources. Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images EXXARO Resources has recorded a roughly 50% improvement in direct coal railings from its Grootegeluk mine in the Waterberg coalfield in Limpopo to Richards Bay, CEO Ben Magara said, as improving Transnet performance helps the miner increase exports from the Waterberg. Magara said in an interview on Thursday that train frequency improved from roughly three trains a week to five.
DRDGold won’t rush Withok as tailings project slips to 2029
Niël Pretorius. DRDGOLD CEO. Pic: Martin Rhodes DRDGOLD is giving itself more time to develop its Withok tailings storage facility, saying the long-term importance and complexity of the project mean it cannot afford to rush its construction. Withok, one of the final project in DRDGold’s Vision 2028 programme, is now expected to be completed by the end of 2029. However, this will depend on receiving the required approvals by December this year.
DRDGold’s ‘year of delivery’ sends profit up 83%
Niël Pretorius, CEO of DRDGold DRDGOLD produced more gold than forecast in its 2026 financial year while spending R3.5bn on expansion projects. “This was a year of delivery,” CEO Niël Pretorius said in a statement before the results release.
BHP doubles down on steelmaking coal as BMA returns rise
BHP has reaffirmed its commitment to its Queensland steelmaking coal business, with CEO Brandon Craig saying some of the commodity’s best years could still lie ahead. “The best years of met coal (steelmaking coal) are potentially still ahead of us, and we want to stay in this commodity,” Craig said during an analyst question-and-answer session on Tuesday after BHP released its full-year financial results. “We don’t have any plans for separating met coal from the business at the moment,” he added.
Mantashe reiterates tailings concerns after Samancor incident
Mines Minister Gwede Mantashe says tailings dams are a mining issue and must be treated as part of mining operations, not as a water issue. Mantashe visited Samancor Dikwena Chrome in Brits on Monday following the failure of a sidewall at the mine’s tailings facility last Thursday. No fatalities were reported. “We are very lucky that there is no fatality. Let’s start from there. Nobody is dead; there is a disaster, but there is no death. That we must accept.
Thungela ready to tap extra rail capacity with third-party coal
Richards Bay Coal Terminal Thungela Resources could use further improvements in Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) capacity to move more third-party coal to Richards Bay, as its South African mines are already operating close to their installed export production capacity.
Thungela declares R5.50 interim dividend after stronger first half
Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images Thungela Resources declared an interim dividend of R5.50 a share after reporting higher first-half earnings, supported by stronger coal prices and improved production. Earnings per share increased to R10.95 from R1.93 in the comparable period, while headline earnings per share rose to R4.80 from R1.92.
Minerals Department to inspect Samancor tailings spill
SA mines minister, Gwede Mantashe. Photo: Getty Images THE Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) is expected at Samancor Chrome’s Dikwena operation near Brits on Monday after a tailings storage facility failure last week sent sludge spilling into neighbouring Eland Mine. The department’s visit comes after the incident at Dam 1B of Dikwena’s tailings storage facility on Thursday 13 August. Eland mine, including its Maroelabult section, is owned by Northam Platinum.
Tailings spill at Samancor’s Dikwena hits Eland Mine
A tailings storage facility incident at Samancor Chrome’s Dikwena operation near Brits sent a large volume of muddy material towards neighbouring Eland Mine’s Maroelabult shaft on Thursday afternoon, August 13. According to a preliminary incident report by the Eland Management Team, which MiningMX has seen, employees at Maroelabult noticed at about 17:30 that the access road from the R566 towards the shaft had been covered by a large quantity of muddy material.
Exxaro flags up to 23% earnings fall on lower Sishen, BMM income
EXXARO Resources expects first-half earnings to fall by as much as 23% after lower contributions from its investments in Sishen Iron Ore Company (SIOC) and Black Mountain Mining (BMM). The coal producer said in a trading update on Friday that headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the six months ended June would fall between 18% and 23% from 1,724c in the corresponding period in 2025. This puts HEPS at between 1,327c and 1,414c.
DRDGold earnings set to nearly double as projects deliver
Niël Pretorius. DRDGOLD CEO. Pic: Martin Rhodes DRDGold expects full-year earnings to rise by as much as 95% after higher gold prices and better-than-expected production. Key projects in its Vision 2028 expansion also moved forward in July, including the receipt of a long-awaited government licence. The surface gold producer said earnings per share for the year to end-June would come in at between 481.4c and 507.4c, an increase of between 85% and 95%.
Barrick’s growth plan for non-IPO mines has its risks
Barrick Mining's Reko Diq project site in Balochistan, Pakistan. BARRICK Mining’s business outside North America offers growth from assets including Lumwana and Kibali, but Reko Diq remains the main source of doubt in the group’s growth plans. This assessment, by National Bank of Canada Capital Markets, comes as Barrick prepares to list a minority stake in its North American gold business, and has named COO Sebastiaan Bock to run the assets in the group outside of the IPO.
Is it the end of easy gains for mega-caps?
Investors should resist the temptation to chase fashionable themes and instead focus on companies with lasting cash flows and sustainable long-term growth. That was the overarching message from Ninety One’s investment outlook webinar last week, with head of quality Clyde Rossouw arguing that global equity markets, particularly in the US, have become narrowly concentrated and richly valued.
Merafe’s new power tariff ‘not a silver bullet’, warns Glencore
Japie Fullard, head of SA ferroalloys, Glencore MERAFE Resources’ new 62c/kWh electricity tariff will help its ferrochrome business compete with Chinese producers, but it will not put the smelting business in a strong profit-making position. Japie Fullard, CEO of Glencore’s South African ferroalloys business, said on Tuesday during a webcast of Merafe’s half-year results that the 62c tariff is “not a silver bullet”. “It makes us competitive with Chinese production costs.
Gluten-free food gains ground as the market matures
Two South African families, one in Cape Town and the other in Johannesburg, have created delicious solutions in response to dietary constraints – and their products are finding increasing resonance among consumers and retailers. When Bronwyn Philipps was diagnosed with coeliac disease as an adult, years of unexplained illness finally made sense. As a child, she knew only that certain foods made her feel unwell.
Barrick’s $1.95bn Newmont deal clears path to IPO
BARRICK Mining has cleared a significant hurdle ahead of its proposed North American IPO after reaching an agreement today with rival Newmont to expand their Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) joint venture and resolve all outstanding disputes between them. Under the agreement, Barrick will contribute its Fourmile project to NGM earlier than planned, while Newmont will contribute its Fiberline and Mike developments.
Barrick’s $1.95bn Newmont deal clears path to IPO
BARRICK Mining has cleared a significant hurdle ahead of its proposed North American IPO after reaching an agreement today with rival Newmont to expand their Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) joint venture and resolve all outstanding disputes between them. Under the agreement, Barrick will contribute its Fourmile project to NGM earlier than planned, while Newmont will contribute its Fiberline and Mike developments.
Thungela says asset sale to power first half earnings
Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images THUNGELA Resources expects to report sharply higher earnings for the six months to 30 June 2026, supported by a non-cash profit on the sale of the Kleinkopje mining right despite continued volatility in global coal markets. The coal producer said earnings per share (EPS) are expected to be between R10.75 and R11.10, compared with R1.93 in the corresponding period last year.
Glencore wins Guinea bauxite offtake deal
Picture: Macro photography. GUINEA has selected Glencore Plc as the offtaker for bauxite produced by state-owned Nimba Mining, Bloomberg reports. The appointment followed an international tender, Mines and Geology Minister Bouna Sylla said. Talks to finalise the contract are continuing. Sylla said the government aims to build Nimba Mining into a national mining champion. Glencore declined to comment.
SA lands major soybean export deal with China
South Africa is set to export about 200 000 tons of soybeans to China in November 2026, marking only its second soybean export deal with the country. The South African Cereals and Oilseeds Trade Association (Sacota) notes in a statement that the transaction is a much-needed boost for the local industry.
Nedbank’s turnaround is taking shape – now comes the credit test
Nedbank’s ability to keep a lid on costs despite continued investment in its business is one of the clearest signs that its turnaround strategy is beginning to gain traction. But with credit losses rising, the bank now faces the tougher task of proving that its recent loan growth has not come at the expense of asset quality.
Nedbank’s turnaround is taking shape – now comes the credit test
Now Cape Verde's World Cup goalkeeper Vozinha has been officially unveiled as the newest signing for Chilean club Colo-Colo. Cape Verde’s World Cup goalkeeper Vozinha has been officially unveiled as the newest signing for Chile’s most decorated football club, Colo-Colo. Speaking at the presentation in …
Nedbank’s turnaround is taking shape – now comes the credit test
Nedbank’s ability to keep a lid on costs despite continued investment in its business is one of the clearest signs that its turnaround strategy is beginning to gain traction. But with credit losses rising, the bank now faces the tougher task of proving that its recent loan growth has not come at the expense of asset quality.
FSCA targets unlawful referrals and client data abuse
The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has flagged unauthorised referral arrangements and the misuse of clients’ personal information as growing risks in the financial services sector. It warns in its latest Regulatory Actions Report that some businesses are claiming to be referral businesses when they are actually providing regulated financial services without a licence.
Life partner prevails in R8.3m pension dispute
The Pension Funds Adjudicator has dismissed a complaint by the sister of a deceased pension fund member over the distribution of his R8.3 million death benefit. The ruling upheld the trustees’ decision to allocate 45% of the benefit to the sister and 45% to the member’s permanent life partner. The adjudicator’s conclusion endorses Section 37C of the Pension Funds Act, which states that death benefits must be distributed equitably among dependants, regardless of beneficiary nominations or wills.
Sarb doubles down on stablecoin regulation
South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) governor Lesetja Kganyago reiterated the central bank’s warning that artificial intelligence and stablecoins present both opportunities and risks. The Sarb has consistently argued that stablecoins could improve payments but has warned that, without appropriate regulation, they could undermine exchange controls and financial oversight. Read: Violent crypto attacks rise as criminals hunt bigger payouts Does Sars want to tax crypto to death?
Life partner prevails in R8.3m pension dispute
Personal Finance (UK) 5 hours ago The most selfless - and tax efficient - way to gift money to children thisismoney.co.uk - By ANDREW OXLADE, COLUMNIST • 5h Gifting money to your child or grandchild has become a hot topic.
Life partner prevails in R8.3m pension dispute
The Pension Funds Adjudicator has dismissed a complaint by the sister of a deceased pension fund member over the distribution of his R8.3 million death benefit. The ruling upheld the trustees’ decision to allocate 45% of the benefit to the sister and 45% to the member’s permanent life partner.
Cape Town CBD property boom hits R12.8bn
Cape Town’s inner city attracted record levels of investment in 2025, with the value of property developments rising 41% to R12.8 billion. Residential projects continued to drive much of this growth, accounting for more than half of the 29 developments currently in the pipeline and representing R6.2 billion in investment. Read: Cape Town’s wealth boom, influence draws private members’ club Foreign interest in Cape Town property peaks, but what about Gqeberha?
Die resep agter Xpresso se sukses
Die resep agter Xpresso se sukses · 28 Jul 2026, 12:30
Sarb holds rates steady at 7%
The South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) left the repo rate unchanged at 7% on Thursday, in somewhat of a surprise move. The MPC’s decision comes amid renewed inflationary pressure, with consumer inflation rising more sharply than anticipated to 5% in June, from 4.5% in May. Read: Inflation resurgence puts another rate hike on the cards Inflation rises to 5%, bolstering rate hike case This means SA’s prime lending rate remains at 10.50%.
Cape Town data centre growth puts SA planning rules to the test
The City of Cape Town’s approval of Equinix’s proposed hyperscale data centre has raised questions over whether South Africa’s planning and regulatory framework is keeping pace with increasingly large digital infrastructure projects.
MPC faces finely balanced rate decision on Thursday
South Africa’s monetary policy decision is expected to be another close call when the South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) announces its interest rate decision on Thursday (23 July). After raising the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7% in May following the February oil price shock, economists are divided over whether the central bank will hike rates again or leave them unchanged.
Hill-Lewis hails private sector push at Cape Town port
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has welcomed Transnet’s move to seek a private operator for the Port of Cape Town’s multipurpose terminal, saying it is a reform the city has long called for. Transnet National Ports Authority announced the launch of the 25-year concession through the publication of an official request for proposals (RFP) on the South African e-Tender portal on Friday (17 July), inviting private operators to bid for the concession.
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