South Africa’s mining output decreased by 10.4% year-on-year in October, with platinum-group metals (PGMs), gold, diamonds and manganese ore having made the biggest negative contribution. Financial services provider Nedbank’s economics unit pointed out that this marked the ninth consecutive month of decline in mining production. “Erratic power supply, inflationary pressures, supply chain disruptions and the challenges associated with illegal mining continued to restrict production,” it noted in a December 13 statement.