South32 lifts SA manganese output as quarterly sales fall

South32’s South African manganese output rose 11% quarter on quarter to 588,000 wet metric tonnes in July–September 2026, the company said in its quarterly report released on Monday, 19 October.

The figures represent South32’s reported 54.6% share. Output was also 7% higher than a year earlier, helped by better underground productivity at Wessels.

Wessels and Mamatwan form South32’s Hotazel Manganese Mines operations in the Kalahari Basin, Northern Cape.

Sales lag production

Sales moved in the opposite direction, falling 22% from the previous quarter to 460,000 wet metric tonnes. South32 reduced trucking in response to market conditions, while one shipment moved into the December quarter. Sales were 16% lower than a year earlier.

The company retained its FY27 South African manganese production forecast of two million wet metric tonnes and said it would keep reviewing higher-cost trucking.

Hillside Aluminium produced 177,000 tonnes, down 1% quarter on quarter. Its 720,000-tonne FY27 forecast was unchanged and excludes any production impact from load-shedding.

Image credit: James St. John / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Archival Wessels Mine mineral specimen photographed on 4 May 2021; display crops, resizing and WebP conversion applied.