Platinum group metals (pgms) led the charge as the South African mining industry saw output surge ahead of last year.

Seasonally adjusted mining production rose by three per cent for the three months ending January 2011 compared with the previous quarter, according to the latest figures from Statistics South Africa.

Pgms were the main driving force, contributing 1.7 percentage points to the overall rise, Business Live reports.

The news provider notes that the value of mineral sales also saw significant gains, registering a 23.6 per cent increase between 2009 and 2010.

Pgms were once again a main contributor to this rise, accounting for 6.6 percentage points.

Overall, the news provider notes that mining production saw 6.3 per cent growth in 2010, against negative growth of 6.6 per cent and 5.6 per cent in 2009 and 2008 respectively.

Much of the increase could be attributed to Impala Platinum Holdings, which is one of the main players in the South African mining industry.

It reported earlier this year that it had increased platinum production in the final six months of 2010 by six per cent to 952,000 oz.

Source:

January mining production up 4.3% (10/03/11)

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