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Platinum performance

Olympic athletes need preparation, determination and a body performing at its best. For those with heart conditions, that's where platinum comes in.
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Setting the pace for a generation

Pacemakers help people with heart conditions live life to the full. And they do it using platinum.
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Precision pioneering

Hard-wearing, long-lasting and a superb conductor. Meet platinum, the Earth's most sought-after metal when it comes to electronics and the hidden power behind our daily lives.

Know someone with a pacemaker? It almost certainly contains platinum electrodes that transmit precise electrical impulses to stabilise their heartbeat. Own a computer, tablet or smartphone? Then the chances are platinum keeps its hard drive purring. Have a heat or motion sensing security light on your driveway? Then it probably uses platinum to help you feel safe. In fact, from its vital role in the circuit boards of medical apparatus, electrical gadgets and household appliances, to its pioneering use in fibre optic cables for telecommunications devices, platinum increasingly holds the key to life in the 21st century.

And for one of the planet's oldest and rarest metals, we think that's pretty amazing.

A precious package

Platinum is one of our planet's rarest elements, but every single piece is bursting with potential.
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Raw potential

Even the smallest quantity of platinum can take years to find and even longer to extract. Yet thanks to its unique properties and wide array of uses, every piece comes equipped with unlimited possibilities.

For example, on the roads, catalytic converters use platinum to turn unburnt vehicle exhaust fumes into carbon dioxide and steam. In our homes, everyday appliances like fridges are made from plastics and synthetic rubbers chemically created using platinum. And in the medical profession, platinum-based drugs are prescribed to slow the spread of cancer cells for chemotherapy patients.

Many people can even thank platinum for the hard protective case that keeps their watch ticking or the neoprene wetsuit they wear to go Scuba diving.

Unlocking platinum from deep below the Earth's surface really is just the start of the story.

Because after that, the sky is the limit.

Leaving a legacy

There's more to platinum production than what happens deep underground. It's about unlocking the future for local communities too.
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Building a future together

For us, how we develop and support communities above ground is just as important as how we unlock platinum deposits below it.

From overseeing housing and transport projects to offering training programmes and local share ownership schemes, we work closely with the communities around us to build a bright and sustainable future.

Nowhere is this more apparent than at the Mogalakwena platinum mine where our agricultural training centre in nearby Groenfontein farm is helping local people gain valuable skills in crop preservation, food catering and commercial farming.

Students can also learn how to grow their own year-round supply of fruit and vegetables, enabling them to provide food for their family and generate additional income by selling any surplus at the farm’s pack house.

Most importantly, the project is helping improve agricultural knowledge across the community – now and for generations to come.

Meet the rock stars

Unlocking the world's platinum resources takes time, energy and expertise. And that's where our people come in.
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Rich in talent

Finding and extracting platinum is a difficult task. Making sure we do it as efficiently as possible is down to the expertise of our people.

Like our miners, for example. They work deep below the surface to unlock the world’s precious, hard-to-reach deposits.

Yet even their groundbreaking efforts are just one piece of the puzzle because operating effectively and responsibly requires a dedicated team of employees from all walks of life.

Geoscientists who analyse every last detail to unearth the next big discovery. Engineers who constantly find ways to make the impossible possible. And medical, technical and community experts who ensure we do everything to the highest possible standards.

Yet while the diversity of our workforce is what makes us who we are, our people all have something in common too. Each of them needs passion and energy to do their job.

Driven by adventure

For our people, exploration is not just a job, it's a passion. Yet it's also just the beginning.
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Laying the foundations for communities

If you’ve ever flipped over a rock to see what’s underneath or just had to climb a hill to take in the view, you’ll know what it’s like to feel a passion for exploration.

Fortunately for our geoscientists, voyages of discovery are all in a day’s work.

Yet the moment their adventurous spirit uncovers a new platinum deposit, our work with local communities really begins.

From the outset, we keep our new neighbours informed and involved, updating them regularly on exploration developments and sharing our plans for bringing the platinum to the surface.

We also work in tandem with local people to lay long-lasting foundations for the future, be that through community job creation schemes or major infrastructure projects, like the Sefikile road in Swartklip.

And wherever we operate, we retain the same innovative spirit that led us there in the first place.