Most of the major companies active in African mining concentrate on gold, platinum, diamond, base metals and coal.

Copper, Lead, Zinc, Cobalt, Nickel and Antimony

Privatisation of Africa’s largest copper producer, ZCCM, in Zambia has seen Anglo American, First Quantum, Avmin and Crew Development Corporation taking over most of its assets. Gecamines, the state owned copper – cobalt company in the DRC is struggling with privatisation and production issues in a war zone. Anglo American is set to become Africa’s largest zinc producer with new projects in Namibia and South Africa.

Official diamond production is mined and marketed by global leader De Beers, which has marine and land based operations in Namibia, South Africa and Botswana.

AngloGold, Gold Fields, Ashanti Goldfields and Harmony are major African gold mining companies with operations in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Ghana, Mali, Tanzania, Guinea and Burkina Faso.

BHP Billiton and Anglo American dominate heavy mineral sand projects and developments with operations in South Africa and projects in Mozambique.

BHP Billiton and Avmin dominate Africa’s manganese production through their subsidiaries Samancor and Assmang. South African coal producers, Ingwe (subsidiary of BHP Billiton), Anglo Coal (subsidiary of Anglo American) and Duiker (subsidiary of Glencore) are responsible for most coal production in Africa. Kumba Resources dominates iron ore production.

African PGE’s production are dominated by Anglo Platinum and Implats who are the world’s leading platinum and palladium producers with operations restricted to the Bushveld Complex in South Africa. South Africa’s is also the world’s leading chromite producer with production dominated by Samancor and Assmang.