History

The presence of the heavy sands minerals on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal was first reported in the 1920s, but it was not until 1971 that the Industrial Development Corporation began a detailed investigation of the Richards Bay area.

In 1974, our associate company in Canada at the time - a producer of titania slag, was looking for major ilmenite deposits. The two organisations, together with Union Corporation (later Gencor and now BHP Billiton), formed RBM in 1976 to mine and beneficiate the vast, mineral-rich two kilometre strip of sands in the coastal dunes that extend 17 kilometres from just north of Richards Bay.

Operations began in 1977, with one dredge mining plant and two furnaces producing approximately 400,000 tons of titania slag per year.

In 1985 the company acquired the mining rights to additional ore reserves situated both north and south of the original deposit. Mining of the Zulti North deposit commenced in 1987.

The largest major investment in capacity took place during early 1992 when a fourth furnace and mining plant were installed, increasing RBM’s titania slag capacity to one million tons per year and pig iron production to 555,000 tons per year.

RBM currently has the capacity to produce approximately two million tons of combined output annually, including approximately 100,000 tons per year of rutile and 250,000 tons per year of zircon.

Deposits of heavy mineral concentrate in the sands mined by RBM	Micro photograph of heavy mineral deposits in the dune sands

Early photos of RBM's smelter site shortly after it commenced operations in 1976

RBM's smelter site as it is today.