The company supports approximately 2,230 direct jobs and 2,665 indirect jobs, while sustaining nearly 4,000 permanent mining jobs across Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West.
Trade union Solidarity has welcomed Samancor Chrome’s decision to halt its retrenchment process and gradually restart smelter operations, saying the development demonstrates how competitive electricity tariffs can help save jobs and revive South Africa’s struggling ferrochrome industry.
The announcement comes after Samancor secured an improved electricity tariff agreement with Eskom, alongside a five-year pricing outlook that provides greater certainty for its operations.
Under the approved framework, Eskom will charge Samancor an electricity tariff of 62 cents per kilowatt-hour, with annual increases linked to South Africa’s Producer Price Index plus one percentage point.
Samancor had previously initiated a Section 189A retrenchment process amid mounting cost pressures. The company supports approximately 2,230 direct jobs and 2,665 indirect jobs, while sustaining nearly 4,000 permanent mining jobs across Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West.
