South Africa is by far the largest producer in Africa as well as being a major global producer, after China, Australia, Canada, USA and Indonesia. South Africa has 11% of the world’s reserves and produces 6% of global production. Nearly all of South Africa’s export coal is sent through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) on the Kwazulu Natal East Coast. Zimbabwe’s single mine Wankie is also a significant producer. Zambia has a single struggling operation, the Maamba colliery. Niger operates a single coal mine operated by SONICHAR, whilst Malawi’s producer, the Mchenga mine produces approximately 50 000t per year. Swaziland has two small collieries which produce around 400 000t annually. Botswana has a single coalmine (operated by Anglo American) dedicated to supplying Botswana’s coal fired power station. Isolated coal-bearing sequences in Niger (Carboniferous), Nigeria (Cretaceous), Morocco (Upper Carboniferous) and Egypt (Jurassic) represent only regionally significant coalbearing potential.
African coal production is dominated by Anglo American’s coal
subsidiary Anglo Coal and BHP Billiton’s Ingwe. A joint initiative between Anglo Coal
and Ingwe has resulted in the formation of a black empowerment coal company
Eyesizwe Coal
Ingwe has coal operations in South Africa and Australia. Most of
Ingwe’s production is sold is sold to Eskom, South Africa’s
electricity provider. The rest is exported through the Richards Bay Coal
Terminal.
Anglo Coal has 6 operating collieries, five of them being in South Africa and
one in Colombia. Anglo Coal exports about a third of its mine production overseas
from the RBCT (in which it has a major shareholding).
XStrata has emerged as a major producer following it agreement with shareholder Swiss based Glencore International AG that acquired a controlling interest in Duiker in 1999. Duiker has interests in
several other mining operations in South Africa, including a 21% interest in
the Richards Bay Coal Terminal.
Sasol has several mining operations to supply its petrochemical facilities
near Vereeniging and Secunda in South Africa.
Kumba Resources has several large coal operations in South Africa to supplement Iscor Ltd's steel foundry operations.
AfriOre has entered into the coal industry in South Africa through the
acquisition of the Springlake Colliery. Expansions of the operations are
envisaged to make AfriOre the largest producer of anthracite in South Africa.
