The SA platinum group metal (PGM) industry has been in a near decade-long downturn as demand shocks and a pessimistic outlook pushed prices to what we believe to be unsustainably low levels. Unprofitable supply has been slow to reduce due to high barriers to exit. Sentiment towards the sector is incredibly low due to the labour-intensive, deep-level nature of SA’s industry as well as concerns surrounding the long-term demand for PGMs as the European diesel share declines and the world shifts towards electric vehicles. The negative sentiment is so great that despite a 36% increase in the industry’s rand revenue basket to near record highs, most equity prices continue to trade at distressed levels. Only Amplats has had a positive return over this period.
PGM comprises five precious metals, of which platinum, palladium and rhodium are the most important. These are referred to as 3E metals. The demand side of the 3E market is dominated by catalytic converters for internal combusti...
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