Southern Africa

South Africa Manganese

South Africa

Our South Africa Manganese operation includes two manganese mines located in the Kalahari Basin. The open-cut Mamatwan mine started operating more than half a century ago, with the underground Wessels mine following a few years later.

The Wessels mine has vertical and incline shafts and uses the mechanized bord and pillar mining method, while the Mamatwan mine uses the terrace mining method.

The two mines are part of the Hotazel Manganese Mines (HMM) consortium, which we hold a 44.4 per cent interest in, and the remaining interest is held by Anglo America Plc and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment entities.

Hillside Aluminium

South Africa

Hillside Aluminium is the largest aluminium smelter in the southern hemisphere. The smelter is located in Richards Bay in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and is 100 per cent owned and operated by South32 with solid metal production capacity of 720kt per year.

The smelter produces aluminium for the domestic and export markets. To support the development of the downstream aluminium industry in South Africa, liquid metal is supplied to Hulamin and other local companies that sell products in the domestic and export markets.

Mozal Aluminium

Maputo, Mozambique

Mozal Aluminium is located 20 kilometres west of Mozambique’s capital city Maputo and has a solid metal production capacity of 580kt per year (on a 100 per cent basis). Mozal Aluminium is the second largest aluminium smelter in Africa (behind our Hillside Aluminium smelter in South Africa).

Mozal produces aluminium ingots. To support the development of the downstream aluminium industry in Mozambique a portion of liquid metal is supplied to Midal Cables, a local company that sells products in the domestic and export markets.

South32 holds a 63.7 per cent share of Mozal Aluminium.