824 MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1978-79 
   PRODUCTION AND TRADE 
 
 The Republic of South Africa continued though gold sales declined in 1979,
the prk~e as the world's leading producer of chromite, of gold continued
to rise throughout both gem diamonds, gold, platinum, and vana- years to
a recordbreaking average of $307 diu,n, and as one of the three top producers
per troy ounce for 1979. The price of gem of antimony, asbestos, industrial
diamond, diamonds was increased 30% by De Beers manganese uranium and vermiculite
De- Central Selling Organization in 1978 and tails of mineral production
are shown in 17% in 1979 to gross values of $513 million table 1. and $651
million, respectively. The quantity 
 Mineral products from the Republic of of iron and manganese ores exported
declinSouth Africa continued to be a major ed but their value decreased to
$190 million source of raw material for the manufactur and $100 million respectively
in 1978 The ing industries of Western Europe the Uni 1979 exports set new
records for both quan ted States, and Japan. Both demand and tity and value.
Major mineral imports conprice for many industrial commodities wea- tinued
to include crude oil and alumina. kened during 1978 but strengthened in Details
of exports from and imports to the 1979, in some cases to record figures.
The Republic of South Africa are shown in main exception was coal, the exports
of tables 2 and 3. Table 4 lists comparisons of which increased both in volume
and in the value of commodities exported and sold value during both years
through the new domestically during 1977, 1978, and 1979. 
Richard s Bay coal loading facilities Al 
 
 
Table 1 —Republic of South Africa Production of mineral commodities

(Metric tons unless otherwise specified) 
 1976 1977 
Commodity l978P i979e 
 
METALS 
 
 
 
 
 
Aluminummetal                                   Antimony concentrate: 
 Grossweight                                    
 Metalcontent                                   Berylconcentrate(ii%-i2%BeO)

 
78,400 
ri8,34i 10,698 
3 
78,000 
 
20,053 
11,535 
3 
81,100 
16,395 
9,094 
4 
' 83,000 
 
19,900 
11,755 
133 
11,633 
' 1,631 
See footnotes at end of table. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chromite,gross weight: 
 Morethan48%Cr20, - thousand tons~. 
 44%-48% Cr20, do. — —— 
 Lessthan44% Cr203 do.~_ 
 Total do. 
Columbiuxn-tantalum concentrate kilograms. - 
Copper: 
Mine output, metal content  
 Metal: 
Smelter____________________________________ 
Refined____________________________________ 
Gold, primary thousand troy ounces. - 
Iron and steel: 
 Iron ore and concentrate thousand tons_ — 
 Metal: 
    Pigiron do_..~ 
 Ferroalloys, blast-furnace and electric-furnace: — 
 Ferrochromiume do_~_ 
 Ferromanganesee do_~_ 
 Ferrosilicone do..~_ 
 Ferrosilicomanganesee do_ — - - 
 Ferrosiicochromee do. — — —. 
 Ferrovanadiume do____ 
  Total do_ - - - 
 
Crude steel: 
 Ingots do... 
 Castings do__~. 
 Total do_ - - - 
 r25 53 33 
 1,312 1,607 1,524 
 1,072 1,399 1,588 
 2,409 3,059 3,145 13,297 
 —— —— 143 550 
 196,880 208,287 205,745 1190,591 
 
r168 000 r95 600 
 
22,936 
188,400 
145,900 
22,502 
191,400 
149,100 
22,649 
178,000 
1150,757 
' 22,617 
15,663 
26,481 
24,206 
' 31,565 
5,795 
6,114 
5,910 
' 7,031 
 350 380 480 600 
 350 400 460 530 
 79 100 120 128 
 22 25 30 35 
 22 29 30 35 
 (2) (2) (2) (2) 
 823 934 1,120 1,328 
 6,926 7,178 7,635 8,550 
 230 201 165 266 
 7,156 7,379 7,800 ' 8,816