South Africa’s worst power blackouts are threatening platinum and palladium supplies at the country's leading mining company, Impala Platinum Holdings, both now and in the years ahead.
Power cuts last year curbed output of the metals and the energy crisis that is crimping the economy has worsened in recent months. The nation’s platinum-group metal production will likely fall this year, the company said.
The electricity crunch is damaging South African industry and agriculture and blackouts are expected for at least two more years, jeopardising output in Africa’s most industrialised economy. It is yet another headache for major mining companies such as Anglo American Platinum, Sibanye Stillwater and Impala who have found it increasingly harder to run deep and ageing shafts.
“If things don’t get better soon then we are likely to have a worse period this year than last,” Impala spokesman Johan Theron said in an interview.
“If it gets worse it will get to a point when you have certain days where we will stop sending people underground.”
South Africa mines roughly 70 per cent of the world’s platinum and about 40 per cent of all palladium, according to Metals Focus. Both are used mainly in autocatalysts that cut emissions.
Output curbs could widen a global platinum shortage this year that Metals Focus forecasts to be the biggest in two decades, and add to an expected palladium deficit. Longer term, the power crisis is another worry for investors already wary of backing new mines as the electric-vehicle boom clouds demand prospects for platinum metals.
State-owned utility Eskom Holdings SOC cannot produce enough power from its old and poorly maintained plants. It imposed blackouts on more than 200 days last year and into this month.
Mining companies are scaling down some surface activities, then catching up when power supplies are less tight — sometimes during the night and weekends — Impala's Mr Theron said.
South African platinum-group metals output last year was probably on average 6 per cent below producers’ initial guidance and one of the worst in the past two decades, according to UBS Group analysts including Steven Friedman.
Platinum has rallied about 25 per cent since the start of September, when power cuts intensified, while palladium has retreated. Reduced output may help support prices, Mr Friedman said. But lower volumes could weigh on producers’ margins, at a time when they’re also facing inflationary pressures, he said.
Anglo American's platinum unit said it reduces power use when requested by Eskom during various levels of blackouts.
“Our operations are running at the capacity required and as stable as possible to support grid stability,” said Jana Marais, a spokeswoman for Anglo American Platinum.
“We have emergency response plans to manage risks and evacuate employees safely in the event of prolonged power outages.”
Worsening blackouts could lead to the early closure of some marginal shafts, Sibanye spokesman James Wellsted said.
The power crunch also risks stifling appetite to invest in future production.
“How do you develop a mine in an environment where you are not sure whether you have got power or not?” Mr Wellsted said. “Nobody is investing in replacement ounces or growth in the industry.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
