The investment arm of the Bafokeng nation switched sides at the last minute to back a bid for its stake in RBPlat from Northam.

Northam Platinum Holdings plans to spend about $1.13 billion to become the top shareholder in Royal Bafokeng.

The hunt for gold has truly heated up in La Belle Province.

One of the main discussion points is the split between cash and equity that Implats may pay.

The number of deaths in the world’s top platinum-group metals miner rose to 55 between January and Oct. 28 this year, from 43 in the same period last year.

"Core to our strategy is embedding ESG excellence as the way we do business and that’s evolved into a sustainability strategy," Neal Froneman says.

PGM prices fell in the third quarter as the global semiconductor shortage hit demand from the car industry.

Amplats suspended activity at the platinum mine in 2017.