South Africa’s fourth-largest platinum group metals miner put itself up for auction after receiving an unsolicited approach from a local rival.
If the deal for Northam Platinum proceeds, it would mark one of the biggest shake-ups in the South African platinum industry, handing surviving majors leverage in negotiating contract terms with European and Asian automakers. Platinum and palladium — two PGMs — are used in catalytic converters that carmakers rely on to meet emissions standards, as well as data-storage hardware that supports AI systems, and South Africa is home to more than 80% of known global PGM reserves.
Northam did not name the bidder. Larger rivals Sibanye-Stillwater and Impala Platinum have ruled themselves out of the process, according to the mining publication Miningmx. That leaves Valterra Platinum, which was demerged from Anglo American last year, as the most likely bidder. Valterra on Wednesday declined to comment.
