Rustenburg is one of the major mining areas in SA and is home to several large platinum mining operations, as well as the world’s largest platinum refinery (PMR – Precious Metal Refiners) and many processing and smelting plants. PMR produces and refines more than 70% of the world’s platinum (https://x.com/AfricaViewFacts/status/1684962805878005760).
The Rustenburg Platinum Mines complex is owned by Sibanye-Stillwater after purchasing the section from Anglo American Platinum in 2016. The Rustenburg operation is located in the North West province, north-east of the towns of Rustenburg and Kroondal, 123km west of Pretoria and 126km north-west of Johannesburg. It consists of three intermediate depth vertical shafts that utilise a conventional mining method – Siphumelele 1, Khuseleka 1 and Thembelani 1 – and the Bathopele inclined shafts, which utilises a shallow bord-and-pillar mining method. The underground ore is treated at the Waterval UG2 and Waterval retrofit concentrators, with the concentrate processed in terms of a toll agreement by Anglo American Platinum. The Waterval UG2 concentrator has an integrated chrome recovery circuit, which recovers a chrome concentrate from the ore. In addition to the underground operations, there are also two tailings retreatment operations. (Sibanye-Stillwater Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves report 2023 for the year ended 31 December 2023)
