# Statistics South Africa says mining production rose by 9.7-percent year-on-year in February. The increase was driven mainly by strong gains in platinum group metals, chromium ore, manganese ore and gold, while declines in iron ore and coal weighed on overall performance. Stats SA’s Juan-Pierre Terblanche says mineral sales surged by 58.3-percent compared to a year earlier, largely boosted by sharp increases in gold and platinum group metals: