G • U • I • D • E

Foreword
When it comes to style
When it comes to the style in which one should write for Engineering News and Mining Weekly, one can do worse than to take a cue from Radio
702 presenter John Robbie.

Those who have listened to Robbie will know that he instructs contributors to his talk shows: “Keep it short,” he pleads from the outset. If there
is the slightest waffle, Robbie adds: “Get to the point.” The moment there is adulation, he bellows: “Cut the slush.”

• Updated – April 2024 • Staff of Engineering News and Mining Weekly may benefit from applying Robbie’s three main lines when they are putting their reports into
readable form.

Probably the briefest message of all time was from a British officer whose regiment had conquered Sinde in India; he cabled a one-liner,
“Pecavi”, the Latin for “I have sinned”.

I recall this to stress the need for brevity.

Most of all, reports in Engineering News and Mining Weekly must be easy reads: they must inform, they must stimulate, they must expose and,
where appropriate, yes, also entertain.

Clarity of writing usually follows clarity of thought. Should you not be certain, phone around until you are, then complete your work. Your reports
must always have meat, but avoid constantly pouring over them the same gravy.

Writer George Orwell is credited with having said that a scrupulous writer will ask himself four questions in relation to every sentence written:
“What am I trying to say? Which words will express it best? Which image could make it clearer? Could I reduce it to fewer words?”
Index Test what you have written by handing it to a nonjournalist colleague and then finding out what it has communicated. If communication proves
Foreword3 moggy, try again.
Rationale for a Style Guide 4 I have, however, regularly used this route with a semblance of success: write it, sub it, rewrite it, resub it, submit it.
Writing for Creamer Media 4
A stylebook ensures consistent quality; it’s a newsroom’s bureau of standards, a verbal constitution, an arbiter in times of dispute and doubt.
Structuring your interview and writing 4 Thus, we are indebted and very grateful to all those who undertook the laborious task of producing this stylebook, and this electronic version.
Converting press releases into stories 5
Production Guidelines 9 Martin Creamer
Publishing editor
Policy on Artificial Intelligence 9
Guidance from A to Z 9
Areas of common difficulty 18

Annexures
Hyphenation31
Abbreviations of units of measurement 34
Commonly used scientific elements and their abbreviations 37
The Periodic Table List 37
Commonly used abbreviations 38
Commonly used plastics 40
Glossary of standards authorities 41
Glossary of Mining Terms 42
South African Cabinet 53
Abbreviating the names of government departments in headlines 54
The currencies guide 55
Readers’ Symbols 59
Research Reports 60
What’s On listings 61

2 3
Rationale for a Style Guide
Even those born to the English language will freely admit that this is not an easy language to speak, let alone write. If you listen to the language
spoken in parts of the UK you would not believe that this, too, is English.
In South Africa, English is seldom a first language – it may only be a fourth or fifth language. It is, however, the language of business – and that’s
where we come in. Poor language usage can mislead and confuse the reader. We want clarity. A style guide is just that – a guide. It does not
contain all the answers, but it does have some.
How to use this guide
This is a living document as it constantly evolves as style tips surface. Its purpose is best served as an electronic document, which is
easily updated and, most importantly, searchable! To ensure that the master copy remains an authoritative document, please send all
additions/queries/updates to Chanel de Bruyn (chanel@engineeringnews.co.za). Regular updates of the document will be posted on
the site.
Writing for Creamer Media
Get both sides of the story
When you write a controversial article (anything that could/will discredit a company) it is imperative that comment is obtained from the company
you are writing about.
As a journalist, you are accountable – you need to be sure of your efforts and ensure you are contacting the right people. The words substantiation
and verification should be high up on your list when attempting anything of a controversial/ investigative nature.
Do not, under any circumstances, simply use random information you got off the Internet for the basis of your argument. Use only relevant,
secure sources and always include the other side of the story.
Your job as a journalist is to be objective and you should do everything in your power to get both sides of the story. All sources should
have equal opportunity to state their case and it is your job to ensure that they do. However, in the event that it is a news-breaking or
extremely important issue that you feel you need to probe and you are struggling to get comment from a particular source, please speak to
your editor for guidance.
If you have any questions, please speak to your editor.
Editorial style
Think like a reader
Given Engineering News and Mining Weekly’s readership profile, we strive to produce a riveting read for the MD and an intelligible, clear,
educational medium for shopfloor workers and artisans.
Structuring your interview and writing
PART ONE
News story structure
GOLDEN RULE: News first, scene setting second, context third, comment last (pack article with news, limit commentary).
GUIDELINE 1: If you don’t understand your sentence/article, no one else will (rewrite it until it is clear – don’t forget punctuation).
GUIDELINE 2: Exhaust your angle before moving on to a new theme.
GUIDELINE 3: Have appropriate joiners to introduce a new theme (meanwhile, further, in addition, another priority . . .).
GUIDELINE 4: Multisource where appropriate, and always get the other side of the debate if one is raised.
GUIDELINE 5: Clear stories with source and accept reasonable changes, particularly if the article arose from an unsolicited approach by us.
Stories arising from public media events do not need to be cleared, unless you have gained additional information on the side of the event.
GUIDELINE 6: Limit the use of direct quotes and rather interpret for the reader in indirect speech.
GUIDELINE 7 (most important): Read your article through three times before submission to an editor or a source.
INTRO 1: News first, then who said it
1. Sourced, nonexclusive: State-owned power utility Powerkom approved four new megaprojects, involving a combined capital investment
of R42-billion, CEO Coal Stoffberg reported last week. (past tense)
2. Sourced, exclusive: State-owned power utility Powerkom has approved four new megaprojects, involving a combined capital investment
of R42-billion, CEO Coal Stoffberg tells Engineering News. (present tense)
3. Nonsourced, exclusive: State-owned power utility Powerkom has approved four new megaprojects, involving a combined capital
investment of R42-billion, Engineering News can today report. (present tense)
4. Nonsourced, nonexclusive: State-owned power utility Powerkom has approved four new megaprojects, involving a combined capital
investment of R42-billion, industry sources reveal. (present tense)
INTRO 2: Describe company generically, then say where it is from
1. Generic description: State-owned power utility . . .
2. Where: Bomber Engineering of Boksburg, on the East Rand, . . .
INTRO 3: Once you have chosen your tense, you have to stick with it throughout the article.
INTRO 4: Try not to start your story with a direct quote.
PARAGRAPH TWO: Scene setting
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1. Sourced, nonexclusive: Speaking at a results presentation in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Stoffberg said the projects were part of a bigger
R97-billion, five-year capital investment programme, which had been scaled up from R84-billion to cater for faster-than-expected demand
growth. (past tense)
2. Sourced, exclusive: Speaking exclusively to Engineering News, Stoffberg reveals that the projects are part of a bigger R97-billion, five-year
capital investment programme, which has been scaled up from R84-billion to cater for faster-than-expected demand growth. (present
tense)
PARAGRAPH THREE: Direct quote
“We were asked by our shareholder, the government, to review our planning in light of the accelerated and shared growth initiative for South
Africa, or Asgisa, and this review made us realise that we needed to accelerate our capital programme, particularly with regard to new baseload
capacity,” Stoffberg explains.
PARAGRAPH FOUR: Provide context
The South African utility has been mandated to lead the power-expansion programme, following a decision by Cabinet in 2003, not to break
Powerkom into its various components of generation, transmission and distribution, so that it could lead the increasingly urgent security-of-
supply initiative.
PARAGRAPH FIVE: More context, if needed
For nearly three decades, Powerkom has not needed to make major investments, given that South Africa had surplus generation capacity
and had even mothballed several stations. It was also uncertain whether it would be allowed to move ahead with new investments, given that
government was considering a new competitive framework for electricity supply.
PARAGRAPH SIX: More context, if needed
However, demand has been rising steadily, given higher-than-anticipated economic growth rates and South Africa is now expected to run short
of generation capacity, particularly peaking capacity, in the not-too-distant future.
PARAGRAPH SEVEN: more news
The review concluded that there would also be a shortage of baseload capacity ahead of the initial projected date of 2012. For that reason,
Powerkom has brought forward the development of a new R26-billion baseload coal-fired station, which will be built in the north of the country.
PARAGRAPH EIGHT: more news
The four other projects approved relate to a peaking power plant to be built in the Drakensberg, and two major transmission lines from the
Mpumalanga region in the north of the country through to the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces, in the south.
PARAGRAPH NINE: this additional news may also need context
The transmission projects are deemed necessary to strengthen the network supplying the Western Cape, which was shown up as fragile in
December, when the Koeberg nuclear reactor was forced to shut down, owing to a damaged stator . . .
PARAGRAPH TEN: more news
Pack the article with facts and figures about the investment programme, the projects, the contractors, the technologies chosen, etc.
PARAGRAPH 11: a balanced article may want to raise concerns
Many observers believe the capex programme is too little, too late. Western Cape DA spokesperson Joe Moan says . . .
PARAGRAPH 12: direct quote for concerned party
“There is little doubt that the power-supply shortage currently being faced comes down to poor policymaking from the national government and
bad planning on the part of Powerkom,” Moan argues.
PARAGRAPH 13: get a response
Powerkom, though, is sanguine about its ability to deal with the challenge . . .
PARAGRAPH 14: another direct quote, possibly to conclude
“We believe we have the structures and systems in place to deliver on this ambitious capex programme,” Stoffberg concludes.
PARAGRAPH 15: may want to end with summing up, or a fact
All eyes will be on Eskom and the executive team to see whether they will be able to translate the paper plans into reality.
Tenders are out for the coal-fired power station and construction is expected to start next week.
Converting press releases into stories
ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE
Volkswagen takes a stance against plastic waste
• Volkswagen is committed to reduce plastic waste
• Reduced parts plastic packaging by more than nine tons year to date
KARIEGA – Reduce, reuse and recycle. This is the message Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) continues to reiterate in an effort to beat
plastic pollution.
Plastic pollution in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro where the Volkswagen Kariega manufacturing plant is based has become a major concern. “I
have noticed the increase in land pollution in most parts of the Metro every day when I travel from home to our plant in Kariega. This is extremely
worrying as we know land pollution often ends up in the ocean, causing harm to sea life,” said Ulrich Schwabe, Production Director at VWSA. (2)
Schwabe said: “VWSA is on a mission to change attitudes and influence employees, suppliers and customers to rethink plastic usage and
disposal.” (8)
“We are striving to reduce plastic waste and we are working with our employees and suppliers on finding solutions to reduce plastic packaging
in which our parts are shipped by at least 5% by the end of 2023,” added Schwabe. (6)
Since January this year VWSA has already reduced plastic packaging by more than nine tons. “We continue to work with suppliers to find
alternative packaging and further reduce once off plastic usage without compromising the protection of our parts,” said Schwabe. (7)
Waste separation bins have been placed inside the Kariega plant production areas to allow for separation at source to take place and prevent
contamination of waste streams. (3) “We are in the process of rolling out more bins,” said Schwabe. (5)
Similar waste separation bins are placed in the employee car park to encourage employees to bring recyclable waste from home. Common
waste streams include plastic, glass, tin and paper. (4)
Over a ten-year period, VWSA has reduced its energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by almost half. (12)
The company has also reduced its use of water by 65%, improved its waste reduction by 66%, and cut solvent emissions by 31%. (12)
In total, he says VWSA reduced its environmental impact by over 50% since 2010. (12)

Schwabe commended the South African government for the implementation of legislation such as the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) TYPES OF STORIES
regulations and carbon tax schemes which requires everyone in the value chain to take responsibility for waste disposal. (9) PROJECT STORY
• Name of the project and location
“It is now up to the public to start thinking of a circular economy and the opportunity it gives to informal waste traders. We must stop the habit • Project description (brownfield or greenfield)
of dumping and embrace the habit to reduce, recycle as well as reuse,” commented Schwabe. (10) • Mine project 1: (expansion or replacement)
• Mine project 2: (output, when commissioned, when at full production)
Diverting waste to landfill is one of a number of initiatives which VWSA drives to become a zero impact factory by 2030 (1). “Decarbonisation is • Value
one of our key objectives. We are determined to become 100% carbon-neutral by 2030,” said Schwabe. (11) • Duration
• Breakdown of main contracts
(Note: Although this is what the PR states, it is wrong. Waste is diverted FROM landfill, not TO landfill. Keep an eye on simple inaccuracies like • Client
this that can be easily make it into press releases.) • Latest developments
• Companies awarded contracts
Over a ten-year period, the company has reduced its energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions by almost half. The water usage • Any challenges
and waste reduction declined by 65% and 66% respectively, while solvent emissions reduced by 31%. “In total our environmental impact has • Any unique features or technology
reduced by over 50% since 2010,” explained Schwabe. (12) • Will the project require the use of structural steel and, if so, how much?
• On budget and on time?
REWORKED ARTICLE
Using inverted pyramid technique FINANCIAL PRESENTATION
Paragraphs 1 – 5 = The Lead Always look for an angle beyond the results (new projects, new strategic direction, views on the business environment)
Paragraph 6 – 9 = The Body But also include:
• Earnings (net profit/loss after tax in R-million rather than earnings a share)
Paragraphs 10 – 12 = The Tail
• Can also include operating profit/loss as nonoperational issues often affect the bottom line.
• If the company is looking to raise finance there are three issues to look at:
HEAD: Kariega carmaker embraces plastic waste diversion
1. If it is debt finance: Is it project finance or will it involve the issue of a bond?
2. What is the company’s current gearing (debt:equity ratio) Do observers believe it has the capacity to raise more debt?
Body:
3. If it is equity finance: What is the dilution factor on other shareholders and is there any attempt to limit dilution?
Diverting waste from landfill and reducing the use of plastic packaging are two of several initiatives currently being undertaken by Kariega-based
carmaker Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) in its ambition to become a zero-impact factory by 2030. (1)
BEE DEALS
• Give a context of why the BEE deal is necessary (the company needs a licence to operate or the company wants to secure its position as a
(Note: First sentence answers WHO, WHAT, WHEN and WHERE)
supplier to a company that has a BEE procurement policy).
• Give details of the nature of the consortium. Who leads it? Is it broad based and how is it structured?
Plastic pollution in the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan municipality area, where the VWSA Kariega manufacturing plant is based, has become
• How will the deal be funded? Will banks fund it, will shareholders fund it (through dilution), or will the company act as a funder through
a major concern in recent times. (2)
vendor finance?
• Is the deal expansionary? In other words, will the proceeds go into expanding the operation in some way?
(Note: Second sentence addresses WHY)
COMPANY PROFILES
“I have noticed the increase in land pollution in most parts of the metro every day when I travel from home to our plant in Kariega,” says VWSA Get a good generic description of the company. How does it describe itself?
production director Ulrich Schwabe. (2) • Try to understand what the company actually does (we favour manufacturers over traders, but both have their place).
• Does the company do any R&D? Does it have any of its own commercial innovations on the market?
“This is extremely worrying as we know land pollution often ends up in the ocean, causing harm to sea life,” he adds. (2) • Is it simply a conduit for imports? If so, what value does it add to the economy and its client base?
• How is it being affected by macrofinancial (interest rate, rand), economic (growth rate, importation), and social trends (BEE, social
Placing waste separation bins placed inside the Kariega plant enable employees in production areas to separate waste streams at source, development)?
preventing contamination. (3) • What new projects does it have on its book? Then use project questions.
• What new products and services is it pursuing?
Similar waste separation bins are placed in the employee car park to encourage employees to bring recyclable waste from home and dispose • How many people does it employ?
of it in a sustainable manner. Common waste streams include plastic, glass, tin and paper. (4) • What raw materials does it use in its business process?
• Who is the leader?
VWSA is in the process of rolling out more bins. (5)
NOTE 1: When you write up these types of interviews, look for hard news in the form of projects, innovation or business development first. If
He says VWSA is striving to reduce plastic waste and that the company is working with its employees and suppliers on finding solutions to there is nothing there, then move to issues confronting the industry as a whole.
reduce plastic packaging in which automotive parts are shipped by at least 5% by the end of 2023. (6)
NOTE 2: If it was an exclusive interview, don’t hold the person to his exact quotes. If the language was a little rough, try to interpret it through
(Note: Paraphrasing was done in paragraph six to break up the use of inverted commas and make the article more dynamic) indirect speech or finesse them into direct quotes that are more readable.

With these measures, VWSA has, since January this year, reduced plastic packaging by more than 9 t. (7)
“We continue to work with suppliers to find alternative packaging and further reduce once-off plastic usage without compromising the protection
of our parts,” says Schwabe. (7)
“VWSA is on a mission to change attitudes and influence employees, suppliers and customers to rethink plastic usage and disposal,” he
enthuses. (8)
In this vein, Schwabe commends the South African government for the implementation of legislation such as the Extended Producer Responsibility
regulations and carbon tax schemes, which requires everyone in the value chain to take responsibility for waste disposal. (9)
“It is now up to the public to start thinking of a circular economy and the opportunity it gives to informal waste traders. We must stop the habit
of dumping and embrace the habit to reduce, recycle as well as reuse,” he advises. (10)
NEW PRODUCTS/NEW TECHNOLOGY
• Be circumspect about the use of words such as ‘revolutionary’, ‘world-first’, unless you can verify that.
• Try to write using as few adjectives as possible.
• Be careful in making big changes to releases other than simplifying the language.
• Make sure you know what the product does and for which sector it is appropriate purely by reading your text.
• If it is a locally developed innovation, you can go a bit bigger.
• Get chapter and verse on what has been spent, who the researchers were, who verified the product’s efficacy, where it has been sold,
whether it has export potential.
• You could even do a sidebar on the innovator him/herself.
WRITING A RESULTS STORY IN 30 MINUTES
There are times when a Creamer Media journalist needs to deliver an authoritative results-related story in a short space of time, either as a
prelude to a larger story to come from a results presentation, or as a story of record for the daily newsletter.

(Note: Subhead is used – see below – to show the story progresses into a slightly different angle) How should one approach such a story?
• Read the SENS/RNS highlights.
Reducing Emissions • Go through all the subheadings to see if an obvious angle emerges, including: an acquisition or disposal, a big swing in production, a legal
Schwabe points out that decarbonisation is one of VWSA’s key objectives, and that the company is “determined” to become 100% carbon- dispute, or a change in leadership.
neutral by 2030. (11) • If there is no obvious nonfinancial/operational angle to pursue, read the outlook statement for a possible introduction. For example: the
company expects things to improve after a poor year, or the company warns of deteriorating market conditions, or production could be
(Note: Paraphrasing is used again in paragraph 11 to make the story more readable) impacted by an unplanned or planned event, etc.
6 7
• If there is still no nonfinancial/operational news angle, return to the highlights and look for the hardest financial angle, such as: net profit or
loss for the period or headline earnings a share for the period.
• Once you have selected your financial angle you need to immediately find the reason to back up your intro. For example: XYZ’s net profit
rose 40% to R1-billion in the six months to June 30, on the back of increased production from its newly completed smelter in Benoni,
Gauteng.
• The next couple of sentences should then talk about the other highlights during the period, reflecting: revenue, Ebit or Ebitda and/or
production highlights.
• Then you should introduce a strong quote from the commentary, which you can link to the CEO.
• Finally, if you have not led your story with the outlook, it is best to offer the reader insight into the future direction of the company by quoting
the outlook for the upcoming period.
REFERENCING BLACK OWNERSHIP
• Refer to the racial composition of a company only when it is germane to the story. It is entirely appropriate to refer to a company’s black-
owned status when writing about corporate transformation. It may also add context and credibility to the opinion being offered by a
particular source.
• For instance, it could make sense to refer to the black-ownership status of Exxaro when the company is making comment on mining policy
matters, or on the wider business environment.
• As a rule, however, our generic descriptions of companies should not include reference to the racial composition of the firm’s owners, unless
the issue is germane to the article and/or unless the company specifically requests such reference.
HANDLING OPINION-HEAVY COPY
1. Journalists often engage with sources who are interested in sharing their untested thoughts and opinions with a view to airing these in public
through an article in one of our publications.
2. As a general rule, try direct interviewees and stories towards what a company, department or agency is actually doing, rather than what
the executive is saying.
3. If there is unhappiness, for instance, with the workings of a government department, another company or a policy, direct the source/story to
what the company is doing about the issue (e.g. taking legal action, seeking meetings to address the matter, or withdrawing from a market).
4. However, if the story is going to be opinion-heavy:
a) Assess whether the source has, by virtue of his or her position, reputation or qualification, the authority to offer thought leadership, or
criticism.
b) If he or she does, then ensure the source remains within the bounds of his or her expertise.
c) Ensure the opinions expressed can be backed by sound argument and are not merely the source’s prejudiced or unbalanced view on
a subject.
d) Be aware of the reputational impact on yourself as a journalist (people tend to attack the messenger as much as the source), on the
publication and, lastly, even on the source.
5. On the whole, Creamer Media will always favour fact-rich articles that are light on commentary.
6. However, where commentary is justified, we should provide a platform to enable the source to make her or his case.
7. In many instances, you will also need to seek comment from the subject of the criticism to ensure the article is properly balanced.
UNSOLICITED NEWS LEADS
The South African business environment has become prone to the emergence of individuals who attempt to create a profile for themselves in
the media despite the absence of sound underlying business structures and/or experience.
These individuals use that profile to tap into deal flow that would otherwise be out of their reach. Therefore, it has become necessary for Creamer
Media to tighten procedures regarding its handling of unsolicited news leads. These procedures are:
1. Should a journalist receive an unsolicited news lead, she or he should immediately approach her or his editor to assess whether the story
should be pursued at all.
2. In instances where the source is unknown to the editor, the journalist will be asked to do a preliminary Web-based investigation of the
company and report back. During that preliminary probe, the journalist must assess what other reportage there has been on the company
and individual, whether the company has a Web presence, and he or she should also phone the company switchboard to assess whether
there is in fact more than a Web presence.
3. Once that has been done, the responsible editor will either approve that the story be followed up, or will suggest that we politely decline the
interview.
4. If the editor remains uncertain, there should be a meeting with other editors before the journalist is given permission to follows up.
5. Following the interview, the story should again be given to an editor before it is sent for clearance. If there are assets (such as a mine or a
factory) or partners (such as a financier or a technology provider), the editor will ask the journalist to do another Web search to ascertain their
existence. He or she will also ask the journalist to make a few calls to those companies to enquire about the company and its relationship
with the source.
6. If satisfactory answers are not forthcoming, the story will be put on hold. If the answers are satisfactory, we will proceed.
7. The journalist is also encouraged to write the piece in a manner that avoids editorialisation and/or commentary. The article should merely
state the position of the source and, if possible, should include comment from business partners and third-party analysts. In other words,
adjectives should be limited to generic descriptions rather than to offering any value assessments.
8. The same applies for the way we write about new products and services. Unless you are 100% certain that the products is truly a
breakthrough, do not use words such as ‘breakthrough’, ‘world first’, ‘revolutionary’, etc.
9. Should you have any further questions in this regard, please approach your editors.
10. Golden Rule: Research and Check the Facts Before you Write!
POLICY ON HOW TO REFERENCE ENGINEERING NEWS & MINING WEEKLY
When referring to the source speaking to any of our publications, e.g “... Concor CEO Lucas Tseki tells...”
• If the article is written for news, we say “... Concor CEO Lucas Tseki tells Engineering News & Mining Weekly.”
• For Cover articles, we say “... Concor CEO Lucas Tseki tells Engineering News & Mining Weekly.”
• For feature articles, when it is an Engineering News feature, we say “... Concor CEO Lucas Tseki tells Engineering News.”
• For feature article, when it is a Mining Weekly feature, we say “... Concor CEO Lucas Tseki tells Mining Weekly.”
• If the feature/news/online article has the potential to be cross-pollinated on both the Engineering News & Mining Weekly websites, then we
say “... Concor CEO Lucas Tseki tells Engineering News & Mining Weekly.”
• If the article (whether news, features or online) appears on Polity, we reference whichever website it originated from. E.g, if an Engineering
News article appears on Polity, then we say “... Concor CEO Lucas Tseki tells Engineering News.
8 9
Production Guidelines
Below are a few production-related guidelines that features editors and proofreaders should take note of.
1. When we reproduce a map in the magazine, we must delete the scale as it would be wrong after we resize the map.
2. We may not have a ‘widow’ (a single word in a line) at the top of a column.
3. It’s preferable not to have two abbreviations in a headline, eg SA’s GDP seen contracting.
4. In those headlines where we attribute a statement to someone, we use a dash if the name comes last and a colon if it comes first, eg:
‘Double-digit growth rate a pipe dream – Gordhan’, but ‘Gordhan: Double-digit growth rate a pipe dream’.
5. There must always be a strong link between a story and the photograph accompanying it. An example of where this is not the case would be
a story about Zimbabwe used with a photograph of President Robert Mugabe where he is not mentioned in the story. One way of dealing
with this would be to insert a short line mentioning Mugabe, eg “Zimbawe, whose President, Robert Mugabe, was re-elected for a seventh
five-year term in July . . . .”
Policy on Artificial Intelligence
It is our editorial policy that, whenever we use Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to generate or enhance articles, research reports, videos,
images, photographs, or other published material, we will clearly state that such material was AI-assisted.
For Example: Photograph by Creamer Media chief photographer Donna Slater, enhanced using AI systems; or Parts of this research report or
article were generated by AI systems.
Guidance from A to Z
Abbreviations
Always write the full form on first appearance; for example, extensions are under way at the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS); the
bracketed abbreviation follows immediately. Try not to use the abbreviation too frequently by substituting a generic, for example, the bureau
instead of SABS. Remember there is no need to abbreviate if the organisation is only mentioned once.
Do abbreviate:
• Chief executive officer, managing director, general manager, chief financial officer and financial director in body text as CEO, MD, GM, CFO
and FD respectively. It is not necessary to write out in full at the first time of mention.
• It is also not necessary to write out Member of Parliament at first mention. Use only the abbreviation MP.
• Director-general and deputy director-general are not abbreviated to DG and DDG respectively.
Exceptions:
• Use only the abbreviation CIO when referring to chief information officer. However, when this abbreviation refers to chief investment
officer, we spell it out at first mention and abbreviate it as CIO thereafter. If used in a title of an event, for example, the Africa CIO Summit, the
acronym is to be used as is, as it is the name of the event.
• Chief technical officer must also be written out at first mention and abbreviated as CTO thereafter.
Avoid using Prof, Gen and Col, but Dr is acceptable.
Do not abbreviate in body copy (although it is acceptable in headlines):
South Africa (SA in heads).
Million and billion in body copy for example, $46-million ($46m in heads).
Thousand should not be abbreviated as ‘k’ in headlines or in the body copy of stories. For example: $120 000, not $120k and 3 000 oz, not 3 koz.
Familiar abbreviations, such as GDP or Scada, must be written out on first mention, but may be used in headlines.
For information on abbreviations used in units of measurement, see Annexure Four.
When abbreviating year-on-year in headlines, use y/y and not y-o-y.
When abbreviating South Africa in headlines, use SA. However, when writing for an international audience (such as Mining Weekly Online or
Engineering News Online), please rather spell out South Africa/South African or abbreviate it to S Africa/S African, as readers may confuse
SA with the abbreviation for South Australia.
Never abbreviate sub-Saharan Africa as SSA; food and beverage as F&B; design, build and finance as DBF; or feasibility study to FS.
It is acceptable, however, to abbreviate definitive feasibility study as DFS; and prefeasibility study as PFS.
Rare earths should never be abbreviated as RE and should always be written out. It is, however, acceptable to abbreviate rare-earth element
as REE.
The Energy Council of South Africa should not be abbreviated as ECSA in headlines or captions to avoid confusion with the Engineering Council
of South Africa. It can, however, be abbreviated to ECSA in the body copy of articles after the name has been written out in full at first mention.
Murray & Roberts Cementation’s name should not be shortened to M&R Cementation. The Murray & Roberts Group’s name can, however, be
shortened to M&R Group after being written out in full at first mention.
Industry body South Africa Wine’s name should not be shortened to SA Wine
We will no longer abbreviate tonnes a month to t/m. Use 50 t a month, not 50 t/m. Tonnes a year should still be abbreviated to t/y, where
appropriate.
When used with a number, metres should be abbreviated to ‘m’. (For example: 5 m).
Do not abbreviate software asset management as SAM or continuous miner as CM.
Do not abbreviate refrigeration and air conditioning as RAM.
Proximity detection system is abbreviated as PDS. Articles
Used in every sentence, articles are an integral part of the English language. Often misapplied, ‘a’ and ‘an’ are usually referred to as the indefinite
Artisanal and small-scale mining is abbreviated as ASM. articles. In general, an is used before a vowel while a appears before a consonant. An is also used before a silent ‘h’ (but not before the words hotel
and hospital since the h is pronounced). In addition, words which begin with ‘u’ but are pronounced as though the begin with a ‘y’ are preceded
Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 and H1 and H2 should not be used. Write out which quarter or six-month period is being referred to. by ‘a’, for example, a utensil, a useful idea; but an ugly gesture, an upstart.

Acronyms The definite article ‘the’ generally points to some particular subject, thereby distinguishing it from others named in the sentence. The effect of ‘the’
If an abbreviation can be and is pronounced, for example, Numsa, Nato, Seifsa and Gatt, then it is written in upper and lower case and further is stronger on a singular noun than with a plural:
reference takes the following forms: . . . it was reported that Numsa . . . the Numsa delegates . . .. • The engineer will notice a difference in engine performance
• Engineers notice slight differences in engine performance
In cases where it cannot be or is not pronounced, capitals are used, for example, SABC and GDP and further preceded by the, for example, • Note that the definite articles should be used only when the purpose is to draw attention to a noun and it cannot be used interchangeably with
the SABC will operate . . . a or an.
When adjectives that denote quantities belonging to different things are connected, the article should be repeated:
Note that the NUM, DIN and STEM are written in capitals because this is the way in which they are commonly referred to, African Rainbow
• A black and a blue vehicle passed the test. (This means two vehicles.)
Minerals is shortened to ARM, Kumba Iron Ore is referred to as Kumba when mentioned a second time and ArcelorMittal South Africa
as AMSA.
When connected adjectives relate to the same thing, the article must not be repeated:
SANEDI, SAPVIA, SAWEA, LANXESS and UNIDO must also be written in capital letters. • A black and blue vehicle passed the test. (This means one vehicle.)

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition is abbreviated as dtic, not DTIC. Bold
The full names of people are written in bold on first appearance in an article. Thereafter, use only the surname in medium font. Headings,
It is renewable energy solutions provider SOLA Group, not Sola Group. crossheads and questions are also in bold.

Agreement between subject and verb Brackets and parentheses

Engineering News and Mining Weekly always refer to companies in the singular: De Beers Consolidated Mines has completed its feasibility Phrases can be inserted into a sentence in parentheses – ( ) – as an explanation or qualification. A phrase inserted in parentheses must make
study. complete grammatical sense on its own and must not have any grammatical connection with the main sentence. Phrases used in parentheses
must be kept short. Where possible, insert commas in place of these punctuation marks.
The building contractor, Buildright Engineering, refuses to comment on the allegations.
In general, two ordinary nouns joined by the word ‘and’ take the plural form of the verb: Square brackets – [ ] – are used to enclose an explanation by the writer in clarification of a quoted source.
• Time and tide wait for no man.
Capitals
When the subject refers to one concept, notion or idea, it takes the singular form of the verb. It is important to establish the way in which the General rule – if in doubt, use lower case.
subject is perceived:
• The wages of sin is death
We do not uppercase government, but Parliament is always capped, as are certain political positions such as President and Minister.
• Fish and chips makes the perfect meal
Cabinet – a committee of Ministers that hold executive powers – must also be capped.
There are some words that refer to a group, and can take either the singular or plural form, depending on the context of the sentence. When the noun
refers to separate members or individuals, the plural form is used, but when the entity is meant, the verb takes the singular:
• Our team has lost every game Legislation (Act, Bill, White Paper, Green Paper and Charter) are also capped.
• The board has reached a conclusion
The word ‘section’ must be capitalised when you are referring to a Section of an Act. For example: ‘ . . . under Section 151 of the Act.”
Words that refer to pairs take the plural form, but not when the word pair is actually used:
• Pliers were needed to lift the lid It is Mining Charter III, not Mining Charter 3. However, Mining Charter III should preferably not be abbreviated as MCIII; rather say, the Charter,
• Where is my new pair of scissors? after the first mention.

Anybody refers to one person; therefore it always takes the singular form of the verb.
Each always takes the singular, for example, Each of the men is going to succeed. But when each follows a plural word, use a plural verb: the
workers are each expected to . . .
None usually takes the singular form of the verb, for example, none of us understands his motivation. However, in some cases, the plural may be
possible, for example, none of the tools are in good condition. Many is plural and uses the plural verb.
Apostrophe
The apostrophe is usually used to indicate possession, for example, the gold mine’s profits.
Names that end in ‘s’, for example, James and Jones become James’s and Jones’s when denoting possession.
Euphony may decide the addition or omission of ‘s, although it is often omitted when the last syllable of the name is pronounced ‘iz’, and in Bridges’
and Moses’. Plural-sounding company names that end in ‘s’, take an apostrophe after the ‘s’ when denoting possession: De Beers’ exploration
tenements.
When referring to the name of a report, capital letters must be used (For example: Eskom Integrated Annual Report, not Eskom integrated annual
report).
All private appointments are written in lower case, for example, marketing manager and operations director. But CEO, MD, GM, CFO and
FD are never written out in full. Ranks and titles are written with a capital letter, but only when written in conjunction with a name, for example,
President Jacob Zuma.
Also note the capitalisation of military titles – Colonel, Vice-Admiral; academic titles – Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Vice-Chancellor,
Professor; plus, Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth and God. Also capitalise: Councillor. However, US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice
says . . . .
Write: undersecretary-general
Also note the capitals in State (as in government, but not in state of the economy), Internet, Web (but website) and Ethernet.
The names of race groups are not written with a capital letter but Asians, Europeans, Africans and other group names, which are derived from
the names of continents, are.

Plural possessives ending in s are written as bosses’, dogs’, directors’, countries’.
Apostrophes are not used in the plurals of abbreviations such as PCs and PLCs.
There is no apostrophe in 1980s, the 20s.
Definite geographical places, regions areas or countries take initial capitals. These include Western Cape, South-East Asia, Middle East,
South Atlantic, the West. Use lower case with east, west, north or south when it is used as an adjective, for example southern Free State
and northern Canada, but South Africa’s West Coast.
Use lower case for province, city or state when it is not strictly part of a name, for example, Kuwait city, New York city, Washington state,
Eastern Cape province.

The towns Jeffreys Bay and Richards Bay do not take apostrophes, but Simon’s Town and King William’s Town do, however. The same applies to streets, rivers, dams and project names, for example, Smith street, Van Riebeeck avenue, Fish river, Katse dam,
Alusaf Hillside smelter project, Kendal power station, but the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
Apostrophes also indicate the place where a letter is missing from a word: The names of programmes or developments, which are not proper nouns, take lower case, for example, mine extension programme.
• It’s wrong to judge = it is wrong to judge
Don’t be too liberal with caps.
Compare this to the possessive its:
• Its profits have increased When referring to projects under government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme, ‘wind farm’ and
‘solar PV’ should be capped if it is part of the name of the project. For example: Mulilo Renewable Energy Solar PV Prieska and not Mulilo
The apostrophe when used to mark the omission of a letter or numeral: Renewable Energy solar PV.
• Don’t (do not)
The ‘m’ in Millennials should be capped.
• That’s (that is) Colliery does not have to be capped, even if ‘colliery’ is a part of the name of the coal mining and processing facility.
• Rock ‘n’ roll (rock and roll)
• It’s (it is) When referring to the Investing in African Mining Indaba, we upper-case Indaba at subsequent mentions. However, when referring to an indaba
• In ’94 or ’95 (1994 or 1995) in general, it is lower case.
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Names of seagoing vessels should be in italics, for example, MSC Catania or MV Peace in Africa. It is SEW-EURODRIVE, not Sew-Eurodrive

When referring to the planet, Earth must be capitalised. Sun and moon do not need to be capitalised. The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa is now referred to as naamsa | The Automotive Business Council

The limbs of the Bushveld Complex, such as the northern limb and the eastern limb, should not be capped. The National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers should be written out at first mention and then abbreviated as
NAACAM, not Naacam.
Common errors
• Pacific Ocean, not Pacific ocean It is Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa, not Ford Motor Company of South Africa.
• Lower case website
• Lower case doctoral, as in ‘doctoral research’ Compound modifiers
• We lower case ‘departments’ when we refer to more than one government department. For example: The departments of Home Affairs, Two words functioning as a single adjective should be hyphenated to ensure clarity, for example, long-term growth and twentieth-century
Science and Technology and Tourism. technology.

Clichés Generally, no hyphen is needed between an adverb and an adjective:

• A carefully researched article
Clichés become clichés because they are useful in the first instance; but although they can find a new life from the very fact that they are familiar
expressions, they should be avoided. However, use a familiar phrase if it expresses meaning correctly, not just because it is easily recognised.
Neither is a hyphen required when single adjectives follow a noun:
• The proposal was ill considered (but: an ill-considered proposal)
Collective nouns
Words that refer to a group or collection of elements, for example: Currencies
• Team, staff and joint venture, take the singular form The commonly used currencies of rand, dollar, pound, yen do not take initial capitals. When before a figure, currency abbreviations are used
• The board has reached a conclusion without a space, for example, €40 and $400. Other examples of usage:
• The European benchmark ferrochrome price has increased by 16%, to $1,03/lb, which is $0.14 higher for the fourth quarter
However, in some cases, the sense may not lend itself to the singular: • rand:dollar exchange rate
• The staff have collected money for the Christmas party

A safe rule when using the word number:

• The number is . . . A number are . . . (when number means many)
A pair and a couple are plural.
Think carefully before using the plural form.
Colons
If a colon does not add to the clarity of the wording, then it should be omitted. For example:
• The manufacturing facility has the following features: a tool shop, a spray booth and a training centre for artisans. If the colon is removed, the
sentence is still perfectly understandable.
• Writers are often tempted to add a colon after “including”, and the same rule applies.
• Before a whole quoted sentence, but not before part of a quoted sentence, for example, She said: “I need to hone my gardening skills”.
However, “I need to hone my gardening skills,” she says – is preferred by Engineering News and Mining Weekly.
• The colon is used to precede an explanation or to expand on what has gone before, for example, the cause of the fire was obvious: the wiring
of the entire building had long been a reason for concern.
Commas
Use commas sparingly. Short sentences are easier to read than long ones interspersed with many commas. Engineering News and Mining
Weekly style is that if a sentence may be understood without using commas, they should be omitted:
Countries
In most cases the names of countries should be written out in full. Exceptions are the UK for the United Kingdom and the US for the United
States of America.
United Arab Emirates must be written out at first mention, but can be abbreviated as UAE thereafter.
Note that Russia, often used interchangeably with the ex-Soviet Union, is only one of the republics that make up the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS).
Remember the use of capitalisation in country names, such as Far East, South America and sub-Saharan Africa.
In cases where a country is known by more than one name, we use the United Nations list of member States as a reference for official names.
For example, we refer to Côte d’Ivoire rather than Ivory Coast.
Use http://www.un.org/en/members/index.shtml to check the accuracy of country names.
However, given that there is still some confusion over the difference between the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC), we use Congo-Brazzaville instead of the Republic of the Congo. Congo-Brazzaville should be used throughout an article and may
not be shortened to ‘the Congo’, as that generally refers to the DRC.
Note that it is the Democratic Republic of Congo and not the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Use: We use the noun form (Mozambique government) and not the adjectival form (Mozambican government) when referring to the government
• Engineering Anonymous contract manager Piet Smith says the plant is operational. of a country. However, there may be instances where the adjectival form reads better than the noun form (French government not France
Rather than government). In such cases, use the adjectival form.
Piet Smith, contract manager for Engineering Anonymous, says the plant is operational.
Swaziland’s name has officially been changed to eSwatini.
Commas are used to separate phrases or clauses. When a sentence begins with a subordinate clause, a comma must appear after the clause,
that is, before the main clause: Turkey has changed its name to Türkiye.
• While the four sets at Morupule were being phased in, the supply from Gaborone was phased out.
It is Czech Republic, not Czechia.
Two commas must be used when a phrase is inserted into a sentence parenthetically:
Large power stations, we have come to realise, require a lot of maintenance. Dash
Not: Large power stations, we have come to realise require a lot of attention. The dash (–) must not be confused with the hyphen (-). The hyphen links words whereas the dash separates groups of words. The presence of a
dash indicates a slight pause.
The use of commas is required when several items are listed in a sentence:
The local agency stocks valves, bolts and nuts. Don’t use commas before ‘and’ at the end of a list. Dates
The use of a decimal point is mandatory, for example 2.6 and not 2,6. Also note that a space (and not a comma) is used to separate The acceptable style for dates is October 27, 2009. Dates are always written out in full. Note that when a date is written out in midsentence, a
thousands from hundreds, for example, 3 400. comma follows the year, for example, on September 3, 1939, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany.
• Use twentieth century rather than 20th century
A comma does not have to precede ‘such as’. This should be determined by the rule governing the use of commas in restrictive/nonrestrictive • Wherever possible, use exact dates rather than the mid-1920s
clauses, namely: • Likewise, avoid the use of hyphens between two dates, for example, 1995-96. Use a slash instead, for example, 1995/6
1. Commas are not needed when in restrictive clauses. For example: Skills such as welding are much sought after (it is not all skills, but welding • 2008/9, not 2008/2009
skills, that are much sought after). • August 2009, not August, 2009
• On June 2 and 3, Nersa held hearings
Commas are needed when what follows is a nonrestrictive clause. For example: You can enroll for a whole lot of courses at that college, such as
mechanics, boilermaking, plumbing, etc (the choice is restricted to particular courses).
Defamation
Companies We need to be very careful to avoid a situation where we find ourselves in hot water for defaming any individuals or companies, or making ourselves
Call companies by the names they call themselves, but omit (Pty) Ltd, Limited and cc unless the name is used in an Engineering News plant vulnerable to any claims that we have defamed anyone. It was not long ago that another mining publication from South Africa suffered a heavy blow
profile when we specify Pty or Limited, but never (Pty) Ltd on the basis that if it is Pty it must be Ltd and if it is Limited it is a public company when it was taken to court in London for the alleged defamation of a Russian mine owner. The settlement cost them millions of rands.
as opposed to private one. Other abbreviations omitted after a company name are AG, SA or Gmbh. However, in Coal of Africa Limited and
South African National Roads Agency Limited, the word ‘Limited’ remains because this is part of the name. If you are ever in doubt as to whether an article is defamatory, get it checked before we publish it on our website or in our magazines. We really
cannot afford to make any mistakes in this regard. As Martin Creamer always says, “If in doubt, find out or leave it out.”
Company names must be used in full at first mention. Thereafter, it is acceptable to use a shortened version of the name or its abbreviation.

For example: Paragraph 1: London-listed Tri-Star Resources has announced a placing to raise £13-million. Webber Wentzel defines defamation law as a branch of the law of delict (or tort), which protects a person’s reputation. The law of defamation seeks
to find a workable balance between two conflicting rights:
Paragraph 2: Tri-Star, which owns 40% of Strategic and Precious Metals Processing, said on Friday that it would issue ordinary shares at 43p each
by way of an accelerated bookbuilding process. • the right to an unimpaired reputation (the right to dignity); and
• the right to freedom of expression.
However, Pricewaterhouse Coopers now refers to itself only as PwC or PwC South Africa.
The law of defamation protects the reputation of a person; reputation is defined as ‘the estimation or good opinion, which an individual has in the
Also, it is bp, not BP. eyes of society’. All natural persons are entitled to sue for defamation, as are trading and nontrading juristic persons.
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The law allows a plaintiff to claim against a defendant if the plaintiff is able to prove three elements: that the defendant (a) published, (b) defamatory Where this rule doesn’t work that well is when using middleman or middlemen, which would, if this rule is followed, be changed to middleperson
matter, (c) referring to the plaintiff. In respect of defamatory material published on the Internet, the High Court has held that publication takes place or middlepersons, ie, the iron-ore is sold at low prices and the middlepersons make a big profit selling on at inflated prices. Middlepersons just
where the material is accessed (i.e. where the content of the website is downloaded). On proof of the above three elements, the defendant is doesn’t work. For the same reason, foundrymen remains foundrymen.
presumed to have published the matter wrongfully and with the intention of defaming the plaintiff.

It is then for the defendant to rebut either of these presumptions by relying on a defense. There are three traditional defenses:
Hanging clauses
Watch out for hanging clauses when beginning a sentence with an adjectival or adverbial phrase. Ensure that the phrase qualifies the subject of the
• Truth in the public interest. Here, the defendant argues that the material allegations contained in the defamatory statement are substantially
sentence.
true and were made in the public interest;
Avoid at all costs:
• The defamatory statement amounted to fair comment on a matter of public interest (e.g. an editorial or a satirical cartoon); or
A specialist of extensive experience, the board entrusted him with the project.
• Qualified privilege. The defendant will escape liability in the absence of malice if he or she is under a legal, moral or social duty to publish
defamatory matter, and the recipient has a similar interest or duty in receiving it (e.g. an employment reference). This defence also extends to
the fair and accurate reporting of the proceedings of Parliament, courts and certain other public bodies. Hyphenation
See Annexure One
It is also possible to be sued for defamation for comments made on the social web, such as Twitter or Facebook – or on blogs, forum
discussions or in messages sent by email. So think before you vent.
Initials
The initials of people’s names are never used in body copy. Always write first names and surnames and not initials, for example, William Jones not
Diamonds
WH Jones. The initials of directors are, however, used in company profiles, for example, marketing director WH Jones, not W.H. Jones.
Diamonds should not be referred to as stones, unless it is in a direct quote.
The acronyms of companies or initials in company names are also used without points or spaces, for example, AEC not A.E.C. Remember to spell
Distributed generation/self-generation/embedded generation out the company’s name at first mention in an article.
Its preferable to use distributed generation, rather than self-generation or embedded generation, but take guidance from your source/s in
this regard.
Inverted commas
Double inverted commas are used in direct speech:
Electrified vehicles/New-energy vehicles “The state of the industry is more positive since the elections,” says Engineering Anon MD Burt Smith.
Electrified vehicles are also commonly referred to as new-energy vehicles (NEVs) and include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), fuel cell electric If certain words are quoted as they appear, double inverted commas are necessary: MacGregor remarked that the Minister had “fervently
vehicles (FCEVs) and hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles. promised some sort of remuneration”.
Single inverted titles are used to enclose the titles of articles or reports, for example, ‘Wheels within Wheels’.
Electrified vehicles should not be confused with electric vehicles, which are more commonly known as BEVs, and should not be abbreviated
to EV. Single inverted commas are used to indicate a quotation within a quotation:
“The president of the association has agreed to ‘challenge imports head-on’ and will be announcing a plan early next year,” reports SAACE member
Ellipses John Brett.
The ellipsis ( . . . ) should be used only to mark the omission of a word or phrase from a quoted source. There must be a space before and after
the ellipses, as well as in between the points. Single inverted commas are also used to indicate an unusual word or phrase:
The advent of ‘chronobiology’ could change the world.
They are also used to indicate a quote in a headline or in a pullout quote.
Ethnic groups
Avoid distinguishing different races. Since South Africa’s move to democracy and the announcement of the Reconstruction and Development
Programme, many companies have invested in small business, rural and human resource development. This has sparked the use of racist Jargon
classifications for projects, such as the black managers’ programme or underprivileged housing subsidies (note the use of lower case). Avoid Avoid at all costs. Technical terms work well in proper context and should be defined or briefly explained early in the article. In many instances
mentioning race if it does not detract from the story. a simpler synonym is the harder-working word. Remember, you don’t sacrifice precision when omitting jargon.

Foreign words Legal aspects

Try not to use foreign (anything not English) words and phrases. Avoid Latin phrases in particular. Use:
• on site rather than in situ, if you mean the machine was assembled on site, but use in situ if you mean the in situ ore reserves – the ore
reserves in the ground, prior to mining
• a year rather than per year – the rule with the use of ‘per’ is that it can be used if substituting ‘a’ or ‘for each’ does not read well, for example,
‘ . . . about £441 a year per person’ is better than ‘ . . . about £441 a year a person.’
• year rather than annum
• through or by rather than via
Force majeure and ad valorem do not need to be italicised, as these have been anglicised. In situ, however, still needs to be italicised.
However, in South Africa:
• Lekgotla, which translates as ‘meeting place’, in Tswana is italicised, but indaba, which is Zulu and means ‘a conference, a council or
a matter for discussion’, is not. Judging by the number of search engine hits, indaba is, by far, the more commonly used of the two, and
is widely adopted – at least in South Africa.
• Names of languages. Use Zulu, not isiZulu
There are three legal pitfalls into which journalists can fall: defamation, contempt of court and interfering with sub judice matters.
Defamation is the publication of any injurious statement in respect of another person or class of persons with the intent of causing disrepute to his
or her name, company credit or reputation.
Contempt of court includes irresponsible reporting to the extent that the judge or magistrate has reason to consider the report an interference with
the process of the law. Matters under consideration by a court are sub judice until evidence is heard. Any report written on the case must not impute
blame to any party. Report – don’t judge.
Lists
No colons in front of lists, unless the list is bulleted.
Lower case
Refer to the section on capitals. If in doubt as to whether to use capitals or lower case, opt for lower case.

Forward slash is the name of the “/” character on the computer keyboard.
Metaphors
Examples of common usage:
Although a skilfully used metaphor can evoke a visual image, adding this new dimension to a story can be tricky. To use this figure of speech
• quartz/magnetite/chalcopyrite veins.
without loss of vividness steer clear of dipping into the well of worn-out metaphors, which will only tire the reader and force him or her to move
• copper/gold project
on to another story. Use all metaphors sparingly. Strive for accuracy, not ambiguity.
• When describing the materials being mined at a particular operation, a forward slash is to be used between the metal names. The lead/zinc/
gold project, not the lead-zinc-gold project.
Names
Gender The names of people are written out in full and appear in bold on first appearance. Thereafter, only the surnames are used when using
direct or reported speech. When citing people in articles, our style is to write Mineral Resources Minister or Department of Mineral
Avoid differentiating between the sexes. Use:
Resources director-general Thibedi Ramotja, not Minister of Mineral Resources or director-general of the Department of Mineral Resources
• chairperson not chairman
Thibedi Ramotja.
• businessperson not businessman
• draughtsperson not draughtsman; draughtsmen becomes draughtspeople
• work hours not man hours Numbers
• work years not man years Never start a sentence with a figure; write out the number in words.
• labour not manpower • Numbers one to ten are written out in full, unless the number is a decimal, for example, 4.6 and 5.9 or precedes a unit of measure, for example,
• worker’s compensation not workman’s compensation 4%.
• spokesperson not spokesman or spokeswoman • Use two-billion and ten-million, but R10-million, not ten-million rands.
• firefighters, not firemen or firepeople • It is acceptable to use 170-million to 180-million tonnes, but it should be 121 000 t to 125 000 t.
• service personnel, not servicemen • When using an estimated figure, rather say ‘about’ or ‘an estimated’ R500-million. DO NOT use ‘some’ or ‘around’ R500-million.
• women-owned, not female owned • Numbers should be rounded off to the second decimal place, for example, R5.68-million not R5.683-million.
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• Fractions should be hyphenated when spelled out in full, for example, two-thirds, even when the number is higher than ten. The same applies Quotations
to figures used as adjectives: He gave a tenth (not 10th) of his salary to the poor. Quotations are not something written but rather something that is spoken. Hence, make a quote less formal and more friendly. Strive to reflect
• When ‘to’ is being used as a ratio it is best to spell it out rather than use a colon: They voted nine votes to two, to abandon the project. the speaker’s character. Quote only when imperative.
However, ratios expressed as percentages can be referred to in figures, for example, the shareholding was 50:50.
• It is acceptable to have 22 000 but million and billion must be written out in full and with a hyphen, for example, R22-million.
• Do not use a hyphen in place of ‘to’ when using two figures: the project will take 12 to 18 months (not 12-18 months) to complete. Quotation marks
• When million is used, for example one-million tons, it has to be written out in full if the number is below 11. Do not use 1-million tons. However, Quotation marks are used in direct speech:
3.2-million tons and 1 t is acceptable, as is 4 c/t. • “Tourism will benefit from the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” says Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk.
• If there is a sequence of numbers, use figures as in ‘9 of the 11 units’, or ’by 10-million to 13-million tons’. They are also used when quoting phrases within a sentence:
• We are warned that “the legislation will force industry to evaluate its production processes”.
Use:
• fiftieth not 50th anniversary; however, if the number is too long, for example, thirty-thousandth, rather use 30 000th. Note the relative placing of quotation marks and punctuation: if a complete sentence is quoted, the final stop should be placed inside the
• 20 m a minute, not 20 m/m quotation marks and, if the quotation forms part of a sentence, the quotation marks should precede any punctuation marks.
• 20° angle, but 30 °C
• twelve 200 mm pinch valves
Relative pronouns
• one metre to ten metres is written in words, thereafter 11 m is used
In short, ‘who’, or ‘whom’ is used for people while ‘which’ or ‘that’ is used for animals and inanimate objects. Note that a company is not human
• five-thousandths of a millimetre (.005 mm)
and therefore it does not take ‘who’:
• the project is expected to take 24 to 30 months, not take between 24 months to 30 months.
The company that survived . . .
• It is 4 × 4 and not 4x4. Note that the multiplication symbol should be used rather than an x.
not
The company who survived . . .
Ongoing
One word Note also:
The company, the premises of which are situated in . . .
Omitted words
Passages omitted from a quotation must be indicated by three dots (. . .) or four dots (. . . .) to indicate a full stop. Please note the space between rather than
the dots. The company, whose premises are situated in . . .

Percentage Reported speech

Use the sign % instead of per cent wherever possible. Write 5%, 30% but five per cent and thirty per cent when starting a sentence with a percentage.
When hyphenating, use:
• 26%-owned by . . .
Per cent/percentage point
Interest rates best illustrate the difference between per cent and percentage point. If the interest rate was 5% and government increased it to 6%,
we would say it was increased by one percentage point. Saying that it was increased by 1% would mean that it was increased by 1% of the original
amount (that is, 1/100 of 5%, or 0.05%).
The ‘Four Ps’
Engineering News and Mining Weekly have their own unique hierarchy of subject importance. These are, in order of preference:
• Projects (major developments, their values and the companies involved)
• Products (introduction of innovative technology in products and its features)
• People (who’s making the news)
• Policy (government regulations in industry)
These can be extended to include:
• Polemic (debate the issues, present both sides of the story)
• Probing (this is what investigative journalism is all about!)
• Prodding (encourage formal institutions to take action)
• Praise (acknowledge creditworthy performance)
• Please (give the reader what he or she wants)
And there’s another ‘P’ – Priority. Journalism has evolved with the advent of online reporting, which needs to be brief and to the point. The ‘inverted
pyramid’ is a metaphor used to illustrate how information should be arranged or presented in a report; the most important facts first and less
important detail tapering to the inverted point of the pyramid. This historic form of news writing is ideally suited to the web and also suits many of the
articles written for Creamer Media publications as it makes editing easier when text needs to be cut for layout purposes.
Pyramid format writing is more suited to academic papers, where a foundation is supported by research findings, data and extensive summaries.
It is unsuited to journalism.
Feature writing results in several pages of articles, supported by photos and advertising, providing an overview of an engineering or mining aspect.
It is vital to ensure that writing is informative, interesting and relevant in support of the Engineering News and Mining Weekly status as an essential
source of information for those involved in the engineering and mining sectors. To this end, the inverted pyramid format is often best suited to
feature writing, but the flow of information may dictate the use of other formats.
The question and answer format is also used to bring variety and interest to the publications. It is also suited to online journalism and is popular
in personality profiles.
Cover stories for Engineering News and Mining Weekly typically begin with a scene-setting opening PARAGRAPH and then present various points
of view on the topic – setting out the challenges, successes, dilemmas and other aspects, and ending with a thought-provoking concluding
PARAGRAPH.
The more interpretive narrative form of writing is not a style associated with Creamer Media but is often used in magazines, where the article
opens with a human-interest story designed to catch the reader’s attention. The writer presents the facts or views by crafting these around this
story and other illustrative stories. The key message or messages unfold throughout the piece and may or may not wrap in a punchy conclusion.
Engineering News and Mining Weekly style is to report before attributing the speech:
“The product has enjoyed unprecedented success,” reports Engineering Anon sales manager Joe Myburg.
rather than
Engineering Anon sales manager Joe Myburg says: “The product has enjoyed unprecedented success.”
Note that the attributive verb is always in the present unless reporting on a speech or presentation. Use says not said, explains not explained,
reports not reported.
Semicolons and colons
Semicolons mark a pause longer than a comma but shorter than a full stop. They can be used to distinguish phrases listed after a colon if
commas will not do the job clearly. Don’t overdo.
• The colour patterns are red, white and blue; silver, green and purple; gold, black and yellow; and grey, brown and orange.
• They agreed on only three points: that the ceasefire should be immediate; it should be internationally supervised, preferably by the AU; and a
peace conference should be held, either in Geneva or Ouagadougou.
Slang
Slang, like metaphors, should be used only occasionally if it is to have any effect. Even then, slang should be used with caution.
Examples of South African slang include bakkie (pick-up), dorp (town), dwaal (lost), fundi (from the Nguni umfundisi, meaning teacher or
preacher), gogga (insect), howzit, just now (shortly), muti (medicine) platteland (countryside), takkies (as in wheels or running shoes) and vrot
(rotten or smelly).
Avoid using expressions such as thumbs up or thumbs down, guesstimate, massive. As an alternative, always opt for the simpler, clearer word.
Spacing
A space must be left between a figure and its unit of measurement: 26 m, 32 km, 12 ℓ and 30 ºC (temperature) is the correct style, but 24% and
16º (angles).
Split infinitives
Splitting of infinitives is justified only when avoiding ambiguity. Compare: Our object is to further cement trade relations (split infinitive), and Our
object is to cement further trade relations.
He wanted to desperately expand his business. (wrong)
He desperately wanted to expand his business. (right)
Style
Golden rule: News first, scene-setting second, context third, comment last. (Pack article with news, limit commentary.)
Guidelines:
1. If you don’t understand your sentence or article, no-one else will. Rewrite it until it is clear. Don’t forget punctuation.
2. Exhaust your angle before moving into a new theme.
3. Have appropriate joiners to introduce a new theme (meanwhile, in addition, another key priority . . .)
4. Multisource where appropriate and always get the other side of the debate if one is raised.
5. Limit the use of direct quotes and rather interpret for the reader in indirect speech.
6. (Most important) read your article through three times before submission to an editor.

Most published columns follow a format of writing and columnists are featured in Engineering News and Mining Weekly. There are many fine Tenses
examples of this format in a myriad of publications and many talented writers who have become esteemed columnists, some who have become The present tense is the norm when writing an article:
powerful opinion formers in arenas from politics and sport to entertainment and food. • Johansen says that building will start in two months’ time.
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The past tense is used only when reporting on a speech which has already occurred:
• MacKenzie said in his inaugural speech that he was looking forward to his term of office.
Areas of common difficulty
Note that was and not is is used after the word said. The past tense will follow throughout the rest of the reported speech.
For the sake of immediacy it is better to say: A
Ability, Capacity
Retecon has been commissioned as main contractor rather than Retecon was commissioned. Ability is physical and mental power, particularly the power to plan and execute, while capacity is the power to receive:
• The MD has the ability to carry out the company’s rationalisation plans.
Time • The MD has a great capacity for technical equations and mathematical calculations.
Time should always be given in figures according to the 24-hour clock without specifying am or pm or using an ‘h’: • The plant has a production capacity of 500 t/y.
• A decision is expected by 14:00 on Monday.
Academic qualifications should be mentioned in chronological order, for example, BA, MA.
• Don’t use three years to five years. Use three to five years.
• When referring to time zones, it is acceptable to use only the abbreviation. For example: CAT not Central African Time. Act and Bill – as in legislation, are capped

According to, is preferred

Titles
Although the overriding principle is to treat people with respect, do not indulge people’s self-importance unless it is insulting not to use the titles Advertisement, is preferred to advert
they themselves adopt.
Address/ed – do not use address or addressed as a verb. Substitute with words like confront, consider, promote
Titles are used only to indicate positions of importance, for example, Professor Jan Goldblatt; Dr Jack Mulder, Sir Ernest Oppenheimer.
Mr, Mrs and Miss are not used in Engineering News and Mining Weekly. First names and surnames are used on first mention: Nols Oliver not Addressing issues – rather use tackling or dealing with
Mr Nols Oliver. After having used a person’s first name and surname once, just his surname is necessary thereafter: Oliver not Mr Oliver,
Mulder not Dr Mulder and Goldblatt not Professor Goldblatt. Adviser, not advisor

The only time Mr is used is for the names of judges, for example Mr Justice J McArthur. Affect/effect
Affect and effect as verbs are frequently confused. Effect is ‘to bring about’, ‘to accomplish’, affect is to ‘produce an effect on’, ‘to
People’s designations in a company are rarely written with capitals. attack, ‘move or touch’. The majority of the time you use affect with an a as a verb and effect with an e as a noun.

Note: For the sake of brevity and ease of reading, use Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies rather than Minister of Trade and Examples from the CM style guide:
Industry, Dr Rob Davies. • The struggling economy had a disastrous effect on the gold price
• The struggling economy affected the gold price terribly
Book titles • The Chinese and South African markets had been impacted on to a lesser extent. Replace ‘impacted on’ with affected.
Newspaper and magazine titles are not written in italics, with the exception of our own publications, Engineering News, Mining Weekly, Polity and
Research Channel Africa. Titles of articles appearing in a book, newspaper or magazine, and titles of reports, are enclosed in single inverted Agroprocessing, one word
commas, for example, ‘Wheels within wheels’, ‘Gold hits new high’ and ‘World Competitiveness Report’.
Aims, Objectives
The names of journals are not italicised. Aims are the goals set and objectives are the measurements we undertake to achieve the aims.

Song and movie titles are Italicised – no quotes – for example Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika and District Nine. Almost all – most is more concise, although an exact figure would be even better

Italics are used for the titles of books or poems, for example, Oliver Twist; the titles of films, for example, White Wedding; names of ships and Allow, enable and afford
aircraft, for example, Destiny and Challenger and words from another language, for example, lekgotla. allow means to:
• give permission for something to happen or somebody to do something, or take no action or make no rule to prevent it
• let somebody or something enter or be present in a place
Units of measure • let somebody or yourself have something, often a benefit or pleasure of some kind
See Annexure Two • give or credit somebody with an amount of money as a discount or in exchange for something
• set aside or make available something such as a period of time or amount of material for a particular purpose
Unnecessary words • take something into consideration or make provision for it when making a plan or decision
Some words, while adding length to an article, do nothing for journalistic style. Adjectives can be used to make your meaning more precise but • admit something or accept it to be true or valid (formal)
you should guard against those that serve only as decorations. Prime examples are very and wide. • present something as possible or reasonable (formal)
• US usage means to state or suppose
Deleting these from a phrase rarely detracts from their intended meaning:
• The chances of inflation increasing in the next two years are (very) good. Enable means to:
• The company offers a (wide) range of petrochemical products. • provide somebody with the resources, authority or opportunity to do something
• make something possible or feasible (note: this definition is not given for ‘allow’.)
Other examples include strike instead of strike action; cuts instead of cutbacks; record instead of track record; sold instead of sold off.
Afford means to:
• be able to meet the cost of something without unacceptable difficulty
Watch points • be able to do or provide something without unacceptable or disadvantageous consequences. Do not use ‘allow’ when you mean afford as in
(Engineering News and Mining Weekly no-nos) to ‘to do’ or ‘to provide’.
There are several words and phrases that Engineering News prefers not to use. • be able to spare something without unacceptable or disadvantageous consequences
• According to – Tom Ansley says is preferred • supply or provide something
• Address – Do not use address or addressed as a verb. Substitute with words like confront, consider, promote.
• Almost all – Most is more concise, although an exact figure would be even better Allusion, illusion, delusion
• Annually and per annum – use yearly or a year instead of Latin words. The first two especially are frequently confused. An allusion is an indirect or covert reference to something. An illusion is a false or mistaken
• Anticipates – rather use expects conception. A delusion is a view of belief so utterly false that it suggests insanity:
• Approximately – About or almost is preferred. • In the first stanza, the poet makes several allusions to the works of earlier poets. The author alludes to Hamlet but nowhere names the play.
• At the same time – Simultaneously is preferred. • Though he had never managed to publish anything, he was under the illusion that he was a poet.
• Company location – do not write Edenvale-based Acme Props but Acme Props, of Edenvale. • In his famous speech in the fourth act of the Tempest, Prospero presents the world as a vase illusion.
• In situ – On site is preferred. • The belief that he and his soldiers could not be harmed by the enemy’s bullets was only one of the delusions he suffered.
• Intros – Do not start introductions with company names unless the alternative is grammatically incorrect or very cumbersome.
• Now – Avoid using unless its omission changes the meaning of a sentence. Allusive, elusive, elusory, illusory
• The use of a number of and several are acceptable. Allusive is the adjectival form of allusion. When poets make frequent allusions, we speak of their style as allusive. If we call something elusive
• Per – Use of this word should be avoided. For example, eight hours per day can be replaced by eight hours a day. or elusory, we mean that it is perplexing, difficult to grasp (it eludes us). Illusory is the adjectival form of illusion. To call something illusory is
• Percentage – When writing percentages use per cent rather than percent. to say that it is deceptive, that it has the character of an illusion.
• Presently – means soon, not at present. Avoid.
• Quantity – Please distinguish between amount, number and quantity (and fewer and less). Alternate(ly), alternative(ly)
• Recently – Avoid using as the word is vague and, in some cases, redundant. Rather use the exact date or nothing at all. Alternate(ly) implies ‘first one, then the other’. Alternative(ly) traditionally referred to ‘a choice between two’, but its use in referring to ‘a
• On his visit to South Africa . . . not . . . On his recent visit to Africa. choice among several possibilities’ is now firmly established:
• The building has been finished . . . not . . . The building was recently finished. • They marched and rested on alternate days
• ‘S’ vs ‘Z’ – The letter ‘s’ is preferred to the letter ‘z’ as a verbal ending: emphasise rather than emphasize; specialise rather than specialize. • They worked and played alternately and never became bored
Use horizon, not horison. • They could surrender; alternatively, they could retreat and wait for another opportunity to attack
• Today – do not use, except in cases such as . . . “Engineering News can today report’. • The generals had several alternatives to choose from in deciding on a course of action
18 19
Instead of annual/annually, use year/yearly, unless referring to an annual general meeting Basin is lower case (like reef) – for example, the Witwatersrand basin or the Eastern, Western and Central basins. Geologically, a basin is a broad
tract of land in which the rock strata are tilted toward a common centre, or a large, bowl-shaped depression in the surface of the land or ocean
Anticipate, expect – use expect instead where appropriate floor. It is also the catchment area of a particular river and its tributaries or of a lake or sea.

Anticipate means to: Benefiting/Benefited is spelled with only one t, but modelling and signalling are spelled with a double l
1. imagine or consider something before it happens and make any necessary preparations or changes.
2. think or be fairly sure that a certain thing will happen or come. Beside, besides
3. feel excited, hopeful, or eager about something that is going to happen. Beside is a preposition while besides is a conjunction or an adverb meaning ‘as well as’:
4. imagine or consider something that might happen and take action to prevent it. • He sat down beside the toolbox
• Besides gaining a head start in the local market, the company found success in the export market
5. say or do something before it becomes fashionable or comes into widespread use (formal).
6. make use of something before it has actually been received (formal).
Biannually – twice a year, one word
Expect means to: Biennially – occurring every two years, one word
1. believe with confidence, or think it likely, that an event will happen in the future.
2. wait for, or look forward to, something that you believe is going to happen or arrive. Big Data, not big data
3. demand or anticipate receiving something because of a perceived right to it or because it is somebody’s duty to give it.
Bloc: a bloc is a group of countries or people with a shared aim
Amend, emend
Amend means ‘to alter’, usually in the sense of improving something. Emend means ‘to remove errors from’: Born, borne
• The legislature met to amend the country’s constitution A child is born but the burden of birth is borne by the mother. If what you wish to express is not related to birth, the word you should use is
• Several amendments to the motion were passed borne. Borne refers to burdens, insults and responsibilities.
• The writer emended two passages in the typescript
Breakthrough, not break through
• The manuscript shows that the writer made several emendations before submitting the article for publication
Brownfield exploration, not brownfields exploration
American spelling
The only time this is not changed to UK spelling is when it is the name of an American organisation, for example: The Center for Disease Control. Build-up, not buildup

Among (not amongst), between By-product, not by product

Traditionally between and among were carefully distinguished in both speech and writing. Something could be divided between two people
or among more than two. Among continues to imply ‘more than two’, while between has come to be permitted when more than two are
indicated. Even in formal writing, between can be used with more than two when it is used spatially or geographically:
• Their house was situated between the railway, the road and the shopping centre
• Apart from this exception, unless your phrasing lands you in difficulties, you should observe the distinction in formal writing. The correct
expression is between you and me (between us) and not between you and I
Ante, Anti – ante means before and anti means against:
• An antecedent is a preceding thing or circumstance
• An antidote is a remedy against poison
C
Called/known as – be careful about using either. You may have called someone an expert, but the person may not be known as one. A current
trend is to write: “the R5-million machine, called ‘Mighty Mouse’, has . . .” , when “the R5-million, machine, ‘Mighty Mouse’, has . . .” would be
acceptable!
Both cannot and can not are acceptable spellings, but the first is much more usual. You would use can not when the ‘not’ forms part of
another construction such as ‘not only’.
Capex, is an abbreviation for capital expenditure; however, use ‘was spent on capital projects’ instead of ‘was spent on capex’.

It is app, not application Cause, reason – the cause of an event is the power or agency that brings about its circumstance, while its reason is an explanation formulated
in the human mind.
Approximately, some or around, do not use unless it is in a quote. Rather use about or estimated.
Cautionary. We do not need to write ‘cautionary announcement or notice’ when the phrase ‘the company issued a cautionary yesterday
morning, prior to the announcement of its quarterly results’ is understandable.
Archaisms Archaic är-ká-ik, adj. ancient; savouring of the past; not absolutely obsolete but not longer in general use; old-fashioned
Cash flow, not cashflow
Examples:
• Coolth = coolness Century
• Proven = proved • twenty-first century
• Thereafter = after that • twenty-first-century skills
• Therein
• Thereof = of that Changeover, one word
• Whilst = while
Changeout, one word
• Amid = among
• Amongst = among
Channel, as in Maputo channel, is lower case
• Not archaic but a nonword: Telephonic
City, we uppercase ‘City of Johannesburg’, but city on its own, is lower case
Asia-Pacific, not Asia Pacific
Coalfield, one word – but coal bed is two words, for example ‘the coal bed is to be mined’
At the same time – simultaneously is preferred
Confirmed to, confirmed with
Artisanal mining, not artisinal mining The source confirmed “to” Engineering News, not “with” Engineering News, but Engineering News confirmed “with” the company…

Autocatalyst, one word Co – the use of the prefix co is confusing. Here are some examples of when to use a hyphen:
• Co-chairperson, not cochairperson
Aside and Apart. Aside means to or toward the side, for example, he stepped aside; away from others or into privacy, for example, she pulled • Co-opt
• Co-owner
him aside; out of the way especially for future use, for example, they are putting aside savings. Apart means at a little distance, for example,
• Cooperation
he tried to keep apart from the family squabbles; or away from one another, as in space or time, for example, they lived in towns 20 km apart. • Coordination
• Co-suppliers
• Co-modality
B • Co-investors
Backfoot, not back foot • Co-author
• Cofiring boilers, not co-firing
Backup, not back-up
Colour, lower case blue, green, yellow etc
Bail-out, as in following a bail-out by JSE-listed company Zambia Copper Investments Commonwealth, not Common Wealth

Balance of plant, not balance of the plant Compare to, compare with
Use “to” when you are pointing out only the similarities between two things.
Baseload, one word. Use baseload expansion, baseload generation capacity For example: He compared their historic win to that of the 1992 Dream Team).
20 21
Use “with” when pointing out differences. Differ with is the more frequently used expression. In present usage, differ from is often replaced by phrases using different:
For example: Foskor, which mines phosphate rock and magnetite in Limpopo and produces fertiliser products at an acid plant in KwaZulu-Natal, He differs with those historians who think of history as the actions of famous people.
reported a loss of R180-million in 2019, compared with a loss of R760-million in 2018. His description differs from the accounts of other anthropologists.

An easy way to remember is that you can compare one type of apple with another type of apple, but you would compare an apple to an orange. Different from/to/than
Although different has been used variously with from, to and than since at least the seventeenth century, expressions using different can
Competence – The state or quality of being adequately or well qualified; ability. The plural is competences, as in “Aurecon will be exhibiting its trigger off heated disagreement among grammarians. Many writers continue to insist that different from is the only permissible construction,
mining competences”. though more recently some have been prepared to tolerate different to in speech and even in writing.

Compliment, -ary (flattering), is often confused with complement, -ary (in completion of) or form a complement to as in ‘her scarf complements Directions:
her dress’. north-west Johannesburg
Complex, as in Bushveld Complex, is capped north-western bypass route
north-northeast of Sishen
Complete/Completed – the project is 80% complete, but the shaft fitting has been completed
Unless a town is very small, it is not necessary to write ‘the mine is situated 25 km west of the town of Musina’, when 25 km west of Musina’
Compound modifiers Two words functioning as a single adjective should be hyphenated to ensure clarity, for example, long-term growth and would suffice.
twentieth-century technology. Generally, no hyphen is needed between an adverb and an adjective, for example, a carefully researched article.
Neither is a hyphen required when single adjectives follow a noun, for example, the proposal was ill considered (but, an ill-considered proposal). Diversified, as in ‘a diversified mining company’. To be classed as a diversified mining company, the company needs to mine at least three
different minerals, for example, gold, coal and iron. An example is BHP Billiton.
It is concentrated solar power, but concentrating solar power may be used if the source uses it as such.
Downtime, not down time
Contemporary (noun and adjective) means both ‘belonging to the same period of time’ and ‘current, of our own time’. This can lead to
confusion. If contemporary is used in a sentence that refers to an earlier period or a particular person, it means ‘of that period or that person’s Draft, an air current, the order to join the armed services, a preliminary sketch or plan, a preliminary report or speech, a written order to pay
period’. It is therefore incorrect to write: Shakespeare’s plays are relevant to contemporary problems, if what you mean is that his plays are money, a drink, a dose of medicine, the depth required for a ship to float.
relevant to problems of our own time. As a rule, if you refer to an earlier period or a particular person who lived in an earlier period, and you want
to relate that period or person to our own time, avoid using contemporary in your sentences. Draughting, not drafting services. Draughtsperson or draughting technician

Find an acceptable substitute to express what you want to say. The following show some of the correct uses of contemporary: Drill hole, not drillhole, or drill-hole
• Shakespeare’s plays surpass even the best works of his contemporaries
• Blake’s poetry is significantly different from the work of contemporary poets Due diligence, not due diligence study
• Ben Jonson was a contemporary of Shakespeare
• Emily Dickinson’s poetry was largely ignored by contemporary writers and critics Due to, owing to – see ‘O’

Continual, continuous Continual implies a recurrence at frequent intervals; continuous means extending uninterruptedly, unbroken and E
connected. The best way to remember the difference between these words is to make up a saying along the lines of the following: You can learn An early-stage assessment – must be hyphenated when used adjectively
to play a musical instrument by continual practice; but your effort cannot be continuous.
Electricity. We use electricity, not electrical power
Contracts are awarded, not rewarded
Electromechanical, not electro-mechanical
COP25, not COP 25
En dash –
Copperbelt, one word and capped The en dash is used instead of a hyphen to indicate a break in a sentence followed by information, which adds to or clarifies the first part of the
sentence, sometimes as an alternative to using brackets. It is also used in lists to avoid using too many commas. Other uses include:
Crosscuts, not cross cuts • A public–private partnership, where the use of a hyphen may be deemed adjectival when, instead, the two entities have equal weight
• Lloyd-Jones (one person), but a Lennon–McCartney composition (two people)
Customer/client • Paris–Dakar Rally
A customer procures goods or services. • Johannesburg–London–Cairo trip
Client must, however, be used when referring to those who procure professional services. • Waterval-Boven–Waterval-Onder railway line

Currency – when speaking it is acceptable to say ‘ten rand’ or a ‘million rand’ – we all do it; but when writing – especially for publication – we End
must write ‘ten rands’ or ‘a million rands’. However, if rand is used adjectivally, then it remains rand and may need to be hyphenated, for example, Does ‘in the end’ and ‘at the end’ mean the same thing? ‘In the end’ is most commonly used to mean finally or after a long while. ‘At the end’ is
a multibillion-rand initiative. generally used to mean the point where something stops.

Cutoff, not cut-off End-user is hyphenated. Collins does not hyphenate this, but we do

Cyber, a combining form and should never be used independently. Use, cyberattack and cybersecurity. Enormity means extreme evil or moral offensiveness or a very evil or morally offensive deed. An enormity can mean sheer size, terrible nature
or atrocity, so be careful in its usage, for example:
D • The enormity of war crimes
Data • The bombing of the defenceless population was an enormity beyond belief
In Latin, data is the plural of datum, meaning, ‘one piece of information’. Datum is infrequently used. When it is used, it typically means ‘thing
known or granted, unquestionable fact’. When referring to size, cope, extent, influence or immensity, examples include:
• The enormity of the task
The word data is often used with a plural verb; however, increasingly it is used as a collective noun denoting a single body of facts or information. • The enormity of such an act of generosity is staggering
In such constructions it takes a singular verb. It is correct to use the singular construction unless it seems awkward in the particular sentence
you are writing: eresearch, not e-research
• The available data are insufficient to draw any conclusions
• The data on the subject is rather meagre F
Farther, further – farther has reference to distance; further to continuance:
Database, not data base • He rode farther
• Further to our conversation
Derisk, not de-risk
Both ‘a feasibility study into’ and ‘a feasibility study on’ are correct
Dependant, dependent
• Dependant is the noun, while dependent is the adjective Fast-tracking is hyphenated
• Dependence is a state of being dependent on somebody
• Dependency – a territory subject to nonadjacent country, or overreliance on a drug Fibre-optic cable, not fibre-optics cable

Digitalisation is the use of digital technologies to change a business model and provide new revenue and value-producing opportunities. Flowsheet, not flow sheet
Digitisation is the process of changing from analog to digital form.
Follow-up is the noun, follow up is the verb
Die-casting is hyphenated, for example ‘die-casting technology’
Forklift, one word
Differ with, differ from
Normally a distinction is drawn between differ with and differ from. We differ with people when we do not agree with them. Differ from is used in the The distinction between fresh water and freshwater/salt water and saltwater – Freshwater modifies a noun, eg a freshwater fish. It is two
sense of ‘be different’. The confusion arises because although I may differ with you (or disagree with you) my ideas would be said to differ from yours. words – fresh water – when it functions as a noun. So, a freshwater fish lives in fresh water. Similarly, saltwater means relating to or living in salt water.
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Fourth Industrial Revolution, not fourth industrial revolution. The term is abbreviated as 4IR. Information technology sectors, not information-technology sectors

Sources may also refer to the Fourth Industrial Revolution as Industry 4.0. Please use either the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0, Independencies and independences, the former is the plural from of independency, an independent territory or State, while the latter is the plural
depending on how the source refers to it. form of independence

Fundraising, one word Input, one word

Further, not furthermore Inquiry, correct when used to indicate an investigation, for example, a Court of Inquiry. Enquiry would be used in the sense that is it a request for
information.

G Internet is always capped

Gasfields, one word
Internet of Things, not internet of things
A gas-to-power project – must be hyphenated when used adjectively
J
Going forward is one of those phrases people like to use; however, if dropped from a sentence and the meaning is unchanged, it is best Junior miner
deleted. What is a junior miner anyway?
Juniorminers.com set out to find what the definition of a Junior Miner was. So it contacted the folks at the PDAC (Prospectors and Developers
Government, it is not necessary to use “the” in front of government – use “ . . . commitment to government’s economic agenda”, rather than Association of Canada) and asked them for their definition of a junior mining company. Their response was this:
“. . . commitment to the government’s economic agenda”. Similarly, do not use “the” in front of Cabinet. • Mining companies are defined largely by the way in which they derive their revenues. A senior producer or operator generates its revenues
from the production and sale of the commodity it is mining. A junior mining company has no mining operations and is essentially a venture
Greenfield exploration, not greenfields exploration capital company. It must rely almost entirely on the capital markets to finance its exploration activities [I say “almost entirely” because some
juniors derive their financing from private sources]. There is another category: midtier producers. These are generally junior companies that have
It is greenstone belt, not Greenstone belt decided to go into production on properties that they have discovered.
• It then asked the folks at the TSX and their response was:
Ground-breaking, not groundbreaking or ground breaking • Everyone has their interpretation of the definition of a junior mining company. We see most of them as being listed on TSX Venture Exchange
instead of on the TSX.
Groundwater, one word
Use Judgment, not judgement
Groundwork, one word
K
H Keeps up, rather use maintains ie ‘He maintains morale’

Happen, occur, take place Kick-off, not kickoff – as in 100 days to kick-off
Happen and occur usually refer to circumstances beyond control whereas take place refers to things that are done intentionally:
• The accident occurred in the plant KwaZulu-Natal, not KwaZulu Natal or Kwa-ZuluNatal
• The meeting will take place tomorrow
• What happened to Europe’s winter?
• Something really pivotal has happened to South Africa’s public finances; they have collapsed – and the fault does not lie entirely with the
L
global recession It is laboratory-grown or laboratory-created diamonds, not lab-grown or lab-created diamonds

Hard wearing (two words), as in hard wearing and corrosion resistant Landfill, one word

Healthcare, one word Landmark, one word

Hematite, not haematite Largest, but biggest is also acceptable

Hot spot, not hotspot Lend, loan, borrow

Lend is the verb while loan is the noun:
However, is usually followed by a comma when used as the first word of a sentence, and preceded and followed by a comma when used later in a The company lent the entrepreneur R50 000 and he was grateful for the loan. The entrepreneur borrowed R50 000 from the company.
sentence. For instance: In any case, however, the siphon may be filled.
Learn, learned, learnt
When it means ‘to whatever extent’ ‘however’ needs no following comma, for example, “Bring the drum, however full it is.” Learn – acquire knowledge or skill
Learned is the past tense and past participle of learn (also learnt, which is a variant of learned)
However can come at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence, but it is best positioned immediately after the item that is held up for Learned – having great knowledge or characterised by scholarship (not learnt)
contrast: ‘ In the morning, however, nothing was done’ (in contrast to the preceding afternoon). It should be surrounded by commas unless it means The difference between learned and learnt is the tenses:
‘no matter how’, as in ‘however hard I work’. I learned something yesterday (Past tense)
I have learnt my lesson (Past participle)
The use of a comma or semicolon before ‘however: ‘However’ is preceded by a semicolon only when the semicolon can be replaced with a There is a lesson to be learned/learnt in the smallest and simplest things in life each day. (Both forms are correct)
full stop and the resultant two sentences still make sense.
Learning difficulties, use instead of mental handicap or retarded to avoid giving offence, as in people with learning difficulties, her son has
For example:
learning difficulties (also learning disabilities)
• My child has always been a hard-working learner; however, she has never passed any exam with flying colours
• My child has always been a hard worker. However, she has never passed any exam with flying colours
Less, fewer, less refers to degree or quantity; fewer to number.
The following is incorrect because the two clauses are complete sentences in their own right. A punctuation mark that is ‘stronger’ than a comma
Licence, license
should be used after ‘learner’:
The letter ‘c’ refers to a noun, while the letter ‘s’ refers to a verb. Hence, licence is a noun and license is a verb:
• My child has always been a hard-working learner, however, she has never passed any exam with flying colours
• The company manufactured the produce under licence to its overseas principal. (noun). If you use ‘card’, ‘contract’ or ‘papers’ instead of
licence and the sentence still makes sense, then ‘licence’ is correct.
Hyphenation. See Annexure One
• The company had the product licensed. (verb) In this case, if you can use the verb ‘to allow’, which is a verb, in its various forms (allowing,
allowed, allows) instead of ‘license’, then license, is correct. If you use ‘allowance’ and the sentence makes sense, then you should be using

I ‘licence’.
• Hana Botswana holds 11 prospecting licences.
Impact or impacted is followed by ‘on’, as in ‘China and South Africa have been impacted on to a lesser extent’. However, ‘the meteriorite impact
was felt . . .” is not followed by ‘on’ as, in this case, impact implies force. Licences are revoked, not taken away

Indicate/suggest – sometimes used incorrectly. You can indicate your approval with a nod; indicate the right road or have the first rains indicate Life-of-mine, hyphenated unless used as ‘the life of the mine’
the start of summer. You can put forward a suggestion, see a cloud that suggests a mushroom, endure a silence that suggests disapproval or feel
that such a crime suggests apt punishment. Life span, two words

Independently, not independantly Lifestyle, one word

24 25
Life cycle, two words, but life-cycle costing OK, not okay, but rather use acceptable

Lightweight, one word ‘On care and maintenance’ and ‘under care and maintenance’ are both acceptable to use

Line-up is hyphenated, as in “part of the line-up for the day” On line, but online when referring to the Web or an online account

Loadshedding, not load shedding or load-shedding On site, two words

One-off costs, not once-off costs

Location – If, for example, you are referring to a company that is based in France, it is France-based – the geographical location. To use French-
based means that it may have originated in that country, for example, French is widely spoken in Africa. Write:
On to, two words
• Australia-based
• England-based Ongoing, one word
• However, we would refer to South African-produced motor vehicles
Openpit, one word
London Metal Exchange, written as LME
Opencast, one word
Longhole stoping, not long-hole stoping or long hole stoping
Orebody, one word
Looking at, rather use considering

Lossmaking assets, not loss-making assets Orepass, one word

M Output, one word

Manhours, rather use work hours, for example‘ . . . including engineering work hours . . .’ Overperformed, overcommitted, overstressed and oversold, one word
Manmade, rather use artificial or synthetic, if appropriate
Owing to, due to
‘Due to’ functions adjectivally. For example: His death was due to malaria.
Majority, on its own is singular but a majority of employees, use the plural form, are
‘Owing to’ functions as a ‘preposition’ relating directly to the noun or now equivalent following it and forming with it an adverbial phrase of
Many, much cause. For example: Owing to the weak rand, foreign tourists should be flooding into South Africa.
Many refers to number, much to quantities: To test whether you have got it right, substitute ‘caused by’ for ‘due to’.
There must have been as many as a hundred at the conference. His death was caused by malaria. IT SOUNDS CORRECT.
The company was willing to spend as much as R2-billion on the project. If one had used ‘due to’ in the second example, the new sentence would be:
Caused by the weak rand, foreign tourists should be flooding into South Africa. IT DOES NOT SOUND RIGHT, SO ‘OWING TO’ SHOULD
Measurements BE USED.
The use of centimetres is, for some peculiar reason, restricted to textiles and garments. In all other instances, please use millimetres.
Other examples of where ‘due to’ can be used are:
All imperial measurements must be converted to the metric equivalent. Use hectares instead of acres, kilometres instead of miles, metres • The furnace was due to be shut down in April
instead of yards, litres instead of gallons, kilograms instead of pounds. The exception is nautical miles, which remain the same. • The employee wants payment of money due to him
• The plane is due to arrive at noon
When used with numerals, inches must always be written out; however, it is acceptable to use ‘ft’ for feet (for example: 12 ft).

Mega, is a prefix that should be combined with the word it precedes. For example, megaproject, megachurch and megastar. However, it is
mega human settlement, not megahuman settlement. P
A pan-African project, not a Pan-African project
Metaphors
Although a skilfully used metaphor can evoke a visual image, adding this new dimension to a story can be tricky. To use this figure of speech Paper, use Green Paper or White Paper, not green paper or white paper
without loss of vividness steer clear of dipping into the well of worn-out metaphors, which will only tire the reader or force him or her to move on
to another story. Use all metaphors sparingly. Strive for accuracy, not ambiguity. Past, last
These words are often confused. For the sake of clarity, use past when referring to a historic event and last when you mean lately:
Metallurgical coal. It is acceptable to shorten metallurgical coal to met coal after writing it out in full at first mention. For example: The The company manufactured carbon steel in the past.
metallurgical (met) coal market could potentially look forward to the start of a recovery phase in about six months time. A weak macroeconomic He has been away the last three days.
environment has hurt steel output, resulting in weaker met coal demand. ‘Last’ can mean the final (as in ‘He ate the last remaining sweet’) or, in this context, the most recent, as in ‘Last week we went to the beach’ or
‘Last time I saw him, we went to the cinema.’
Marketplace, one word
‘Past’ is more vague and can be used to refer to a nonspecific period millions of years ago or a couple of years back, although it tends largely
not to be used for more recent events, ie. “In the past, dinosaurs roamed the earth’ or ‘In the past, we used to go to the fair together.’
Minigrid, not mini-grid
It is fine to use ‘past’ to say, for example, ‘The company has invested millions of rands in new equipment in the past three years’.
Mount Moreland, not Mt Morland ‘Last’ should only be used where one refers to a final event. For example: ‘In the last six months before the company was bought out, it
invested millions of rands in new equipment’.
Multi-element, not multielement
Per should be avoided, use ‘each’, for example ‘each year’. Per annum should also be replaced by ‘a year’. There are, however, acceptable
Multi-user, not multiuser uses of ‘per’:
• Per capita
N • 100 carats per hundred tons (cpht)
• When used in a quote
None is or are? Not one is = none. So, none is. When used with a plural noun, however, opinions begin to differ, for example, ‘none of my
colleagues is’ does not read as well as ‘none of my colleagues are’. In this case the most natural usage would be acceptable.
Phase 2, not phase 2
Now, avoid using unless its omission changes the meaning of a sentence
Pilanesberg, not Pilansberg
Nuclear-1, not Nuclear One
Platinum-group metals (PGMs), not platinum group metals
The use of a number of and several are acceptable.
It is PGM miner, not PGMs miner
O
Obligate is an ugly and unnecessary word, use ‘oblige’ Platework, one word

Off the shore of Côte d’Ivoire, not offshore of Côte d’Ivoire, but ‘maintenance of the oil rigs (two words) offshore of Angola’ Policymaking, one word

Offgrid, not off-grid Polokwane, not Pietersburg

Offtake, one word, offtake agreement Ponder, rather use consider

26 27
Port, lower case, for example, the Beira port but the Port of Beira
S
Seacrete, one word
Post – usually attached without the hyphen when referring to the past, except when the next word begins with t or a capital letter.
Semiskilled, not semi-skilled
Postelection, not post-election
Sewage, sewerage and sewer. Sewage is the waste matter carried off by sewer drains and pipes. Sewerage refers to the physical facilities
Post-tax, not posttax (for example, pipes, lift stations, and treatment and disposal facilities) through which sewage flows.

Postwar, not post-war Source – as in the origin of a story. Use: a source confirmed to Engineering News . . . or Engineering News confirmed with . . . .

Practice, practise Standalone, not stand-alone

The letter ‘c’ is used in the noun while the letter ‘s’ is used in the verb. Hence practice is a noun and practise is a verb:
• He opened his own practice on the Rand (noun) Startup, not start-up or start up
• He practised his putting daily (verb)
Stock exchanges The JSE is listed as such and should not be written as the Johannesburg Stock Exchange
Preindustrial, not pre-industrial Use:
• Aim- and ASX-listed Sylvania Resources
Presently, it means ‘before long’, ‘soon’ or ‘shortly’, ‘currently’ is preferred. • The New York and London stock exchanges
• TSX- or TSX-V-listed
Preventive, not preventative • JSE-listed Anglo

Principal, principle Stormwater runoff, not storm water run off

Principal is the main, head or chief or an organisation, while principle refers to values or features. Principal may be a noun or adjective, principle
is always a noun. State with a capital ‘S’ refers to the government of a country. State with a lower case ‘s’ refers to:
• The principal shareholder has a major say in the day-to-day workings of the company • The condition that something or somebody is in at a particular time
• The principle behind the workings of the lathe is simple • A nervous, upset, or excited frame of mind or manner of behaving (informal)
• A formal, dignified or grand way of doing something in which all the appropriate ceremonies are observed
The private-sector led initiative – must be hyphenated when used adjectively • Any of the various forms such as solid or liquid or quantifiable conditions such as energy levels that a physical substance can be in depending
on its temperature and other circumstances
Pumpstation, one word • A messy or disreputable condition (informal)
• To express something in spoken or written words, especially to announce something publicly in a deliberate formal way
• To declare something officially so that it has the force of a law or regulation
Q Use:
Qualifications • State-owned power utility, but State power utility does not take a hyphen
Write: • non-State, not nonState
PhD, not PHD
BSc (Hon), not B. Sc. (Hons) Southern Africa, not southern Africa

Quantity – distinguish between amount, number and quantity (and fewer and less). Use: A small quantity of ore or goods. Subconsultants, not sub-consultants
Pilbara blend comprises the different qualities of iron-ore blended in specific quantities.
sub-Saharan, not Sub-Saharan
Quick. There is some debate surrounding the degree of comparison (adjective or adverb [the positive], comparative and superlative) for
quick, quicker (or the preferred more quickly) and quickest. Quicker is used in informal English and has passed into common usage. Standards authorities
However, in writing, the better use of the comparative is more quickly. Another example is more succinct as opposed to succincter. The Abbreviations for standards authorities need to be written out in full at the first time of mention if used without reference to the particular standard
former is easier to say than the latter, so it is doubtful that this will become used in common speech. Similarly with more beautiful and most – ISO 90001:2000
beautiful, more sincere and most sincere. IAF – International Accreditation Forum
ILAC – International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
ISO – International Organisation for Standardisation
R SANAS – South African National Accreditation System
A full list of standard’s authorities names and abbreviations is available in Annexure five.
Raiseboring, one word, while raise-drilled is hyphenated
It is socioeconomic, not socio-economic
Rail track, two words
Surnames, in articles where people have the same surnames, use both name and surname at the second time of mention
Rare-earth oxide and rare-earth element, but rare earths mine and rare earths plant
Sustainability includes the economic, social and environmental spheres of corporate involvement and influence – so don’t write ‘environmental
Recently – avoid using as the word is vague and, in some cases, redundant. Rather use the exact date or nothing at all: and sustainability challenges’
• On his visit to South Africa . . . not . . . on his recent visit to South Africa
• The building has been finished . . . not . . . the building was recently finished

The renewable-energy projects – must be hyphenated when used adjectively

T
Telecommunications and telecoms – Both are acceptable but be consistent.
Reef, lower case, for example, Merensky reef, UG2 reef, Main reef
Tender and Award stage of projects.
That part of the project life cycle during which construction contractors are invited to prepare and submit bids, a selection is made and contracts
Reorder, one word
are awarded. A call for bids or call for tenders or invitation to tender (ITT) (often called tender for short) is a special procedure for generating
competing offers from different bidders looking to obtain an award of business activity in works, supply or service contracts. They are usually
Risk averse, not risk adverse preceded by a prequalification questionnaire (PQQ).

Roadshow, one word Testwork, one word

Rock drills, two words Third World countries, not third world countries

Roll-out is hyphenated whether used as an adjective or noun, but the verb is roll out – two words. This applies to rolled out and rolling out. Real-time monitoring, not real time monitoring

Rollover, as in rollover doors, one word Today – do not use except in cases such as . . . Engineering News can today report

Roofs, not rooves Tool, die and mouldmaking, not tool-, die- and mould-making

Runoff, one word if referring to an election runoff but to run off a copy is two words TSX-V, use in full at the first time of mention – Toronto Stock Exchange’s Venture Exchange (TSX-V)
28 29
Trading as should not be abbreviated to t/a
Annexures
Trillion is abbreviated as tn in headlines. For example: R3.2tn Annexure One
Two, too, to
Two means twice one: too has the meaning of also; to is an indication of direction. The two men went to the factory. He went there too.
Hyphenation
The hyphen should be used only when its presence assists in the understanding of a word or phrase. If you’re not sure whether to use one
or not, consult the dictionary!
U Use of the hyphen indicates that two or more words should be read as one word. This compound then acquires a meaning of its own, entirely
Underallocation, not under allocation
different from that of the individual words, for example:
High-tech
‘Under care and maintenance’ and ‘on care and maintenance’ are both acceptable to use
Know-how
Under way, two words Devil-may-care
Out-of-date
Underused, not under underutilised, one word State-of-the-art

Until, to use until rather than till. Compass points must be hyphenated

Upon, on Hyphens are used when forming composite adjectives. If they are omitted, confusion could arise:
Upon should be used when there is a superposition, actual or figurative, according to the rules of grammar: A ‘little-known area’ does not mean the same as ’a little known area’.
• The copy was laid upon the desk Some words beginning with prefixes need to be hyphenated, for example:
• She heaped her adjectives one upon the other If the prefix is with a capital, as in neo-Darwinism.
• However, the choice between upon and on usually depends on euphony. Base your choice on the sound of the words with which the If the prefix is used with a vowel, as in pre-empt, semi-illiterate, re-enter or anti-aircraft.
preposition is used, for example, upon my word, depend upon it, but it depends on him, on hearing Do not hyphenate override, withhold and underrate.
•
Uranic contamination, as in contaminated by uranium Hyphens are not used in:
• Non, as in nongovernmental
Used, not utilised • Nouns formed from prepositional verbs are hyphenated, for example roll-out and build-up.
• Some titles also take hyphens, for example, vice-president, director-general and attorney-general, but not deputy director and district
attorney.
• All numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine (except for the single words) need to be hyphenated, as do other compounds formed from
V numbers, if there is any possibility of ambiguity, for example three-tiered; four-lane; three-legged. Note that it is not necessary to hyphenate
Very. To write that a company is ‘very systems based’ is unnecessary. It is ‘systems based’. numbers above one hundred, for example, four hundred and ninety-six. Fractions are also hyphenated, for example, two-thirds, four-
fifths.
Vice Versa, rather use the other way around • The quarters of the compass when used as a compound are hyphenated, for example, north-west and south-east.
• A compound modifier (also called a compound adjective or a phrasal adjective) is an adjectival or adverbial phrase of two or more words.
According to modern writing guides, compound modifiers before a noun generally require a hyphen between each word (see exceptions below).
W Hyphens help prevent confusion; otherwise, a reader might interpret the words separately, rather than as a phrase. One or more hyphens join
It is watershedding, not water-shedding or water shedding. the words into a single idea.
• Hard-won victory
The term watershedding should, however, not be used for water outages or disruptions and should only be used when referring specifically • Better-educated learners
to scheduled water cuts (similar to scheduled power cuts which are referred to as loadshedding). Watershedding is not currently being • “Science-fiction writers write science fiction”
implemented in South Africa, but the prospect of its implementation is being discussed. • Military-history experts
• A man-eating shark (not “a man eating shark”, the exact opposite meaning)
Web is capped. Web-based is hyphenated, but website is lower case • The one-way street is very narrow
• A wild-goose chase (not “wild goose chase”, a goose chase that was wild)
Wellbeing, one word • New-car sales not new car sales

Wellhead, as in wellhead generators for power production – not well head or well-head Exceptions
• Do not use a hyphen following adverbs that end in -ly, but use one following adverbs that do not end in -ly: “a well-known actress”.
Wellfield, one word • Most phrases that need hyphens as compound modifiers should not be hyphenated if they come after the noun they describe: “a contract for
a long term.”
Wholly owned, not wholly-owned • Creamer Media style may differ from other house styles and this is often most evident in hyphenation. Generally, hyphenation rules and
exceptions are subject to a writer’s judgment and may be applied differently, but the overarching aim is to avoid confusion.
WiFi, not Wi-Fi • The Times Online Style Guide suggests using the hyphen “when the phrase would otherwise be ambiguous”.
• The Chicago Manual of Style now takes the position that “the hyphen may be omitted in all cases [of adjectival compounds] where there is little
Within – in is preferred, unless used as ‘he was within his rights’. or no risk of ambiguity or hesitation”.

Workforce, one word Examples of noncompound modifiers

A new looking glass (not to confuse with a new-looking glass, looking glass being a rather old-fashioned term for a mirror).
World War Two, not World War II or World War 2. Use the first DRC War, not the first Congo War.
Oxygen free radicals (in chemistry, free radicals that contain oxygen, not to confuse with oxygen-free radicals, radicals which are free of oxygen,
Whilst, use while, not whilst or oxygen-consuming radicals, nonconformist chemists given to expounding their views at length).

Hyphenation examples:
• Asia-Pacific
• black economic-empowerment group and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act of 2003
• broad-based black economic-empowerment initiative
• black-empowered company
• bord-and-pillar; cut-and-fill; truck-and-shovel
• challenge imports head-on
• coal-fired power station
• community-owned and -operated factory
• Consul-General
• cost-effective solution
• deep-water discovery, not deepwater discovery
• demagnitising, not de-magnitising
• demand-side management
• director-general (Botswana Democratic Party secretary-general Daniel Kwelagobe)
• South-East Asia, not South East Asia
30 31
• early-stage assessment • 24/7 services, not twenty-four-seven services
• eco-trails • 24 hours a day (no hyphens), but 24-hour-a-day facility
• electricity-intensive mines
• environmental-impact assessment • Hyphenation exceptions
• environmental-impact assessment report • 20- to 30-million tons per annum (a quote)
• environmental- and social-impact assessment study • care and maintenance, unless used adjectivally
• exchange-traded funds (lower case) • co-chairperson
• end-users, not end users • coordinate
• ex-Soviet Union • cooperate
• fibre-optic cables but fibre optics (no hyphen) • email
• first-quarter new-vehicle sales • energy efficient system, do not hyphenate the adjectival use of ‘energy efficient’
• fit-for-purpose • loadshedding, not load shedding or load-shedding
• gas-to-energy; waste-to-energy; LNG-to-energy • mideighties
• gas-to-power project • midsized
• greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions • midtier
• hand-held drilling • Net-zero is hyphenated when used adjectively
• heavy-metal-free materials • preadjusted
• high-cost, uneconomic mines • preassembly
• life-of-mine • preapproval capital expenditure
• low-cost affordability • reoptimised
• ill-considered proposal • short to medium term, unless used adjectivally
• in-house design • joint venture should never be hyphenated
• iron-ore, both noun and adjectival
• long-term growth
• lost-time-injury frequency rate
• lower-grade ore
• low- and medium-carbon commercial grades
• low-, medium- and high-alloy steels
• mid-1920s
• nine-million-ton-a-year mine, but a nine-million ton a year greenfield openpit mine
• one-liner
• on-reef and off-reef
• open-cycle gas-turbine project
• pebble-bed nuclear reactor, but the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Company
• per-kilowatt-hour payment
• platinum-group metals but a platinum group metals producer
• polished-diamond sales
• project-managed, not project managed ie ‘ . . . plants DRA designed and project-managed’.
• plural-sounding company names
• public- and private-sector entities
• ramp-up of production
• renewable-energy technology
• rigid-pillar system
• run-of-mine production
• state-of-the-art computer
• sub-Saharan Africa
• twentieth-century technology
• value-added tax or value-added service
• Vice-Admiral
• well-thought-out structure
• year-on-year in June

Hyphenation in Numbers:
• Fractions should be hyphenated when spelled out in full, for example, two-thirds, even when the number is higher than ten. The same applies
to figures used as adjectives: He gave a tenth (not 10th) of his salary to the poor.
• It is acceptable to have 22 000 but million and billion must be written out in full and with a hyphen, for example, R22-million. Also note:
2 000 t/y but 20-million tons a year.
• Do not use a hyphen in place of ‘to’ when using two figures: the project will take 12 to 18 months (not 12-18 months) to complete.
• When million is used, for example one-million tons, the number has to be written out in full if the number is below 11. Do not use 1-million tons.
However, 3.2-million tons and 1 t is acceptable, as is 4 c/t.

Use:
• The 555 km 24 inch trunk-line from Durban
• 20-million-ton-a-year processing plant
• 150-m-wide × 500-m-long north-west-trending corridor
• 180 mm × 80 mm × 40 mm unit
• 26%-owned by . . .
• ISO 9002-, 14001- and 18001-listed plant
• multimillion-rand turnkey project
• twenty-fifth year of service; not 25th
• Ten-million-tons-a-year iron export project, but a ten-million-ton a year iron export project. The plural or singular ‘tons’ or ‘ton’ is governed by
the use, or not, of either ‘a’ or ‘an’ before the figure.
• 100-t-capacity wagon
• 300-t/h Laixin plant
• 2.7-m-diameter Koepe winder
• 12-million-ton-a-year dense-medium separation (DMS) plant
• three 54-hole golf courses
• 25-m-high crusher tips
• 144-m-long tunnel section
• fiftieth not 50th anniversary; however, if the number is too long, for example thirty-thousandth, rather use 30 000th.
• two-and-a-half years
32 33
Annexure Two Abbreviation Unit of Measurement
kVA kilovolt-ampere
Abbreviations of units of measurement kW kilowatt
Units of measurement are written in lower case (for example, kg, km, m), unless they are derived from the name of a person (for example, W, kJ, kWh kilowatt-hour
kW, Hz). When used with figures, these abbreviations should follow with a space (for example, 11 kg, 15 km, 35 mm) and when used adjectivally, ℓ litre (“ℓ” symbol in mathematical font)
a hyphen is necessary: a 15-km journey. However, two abbreviations together must be separated with a space.
m metre
When beginning a sentence, figures and units of measurement should be written out in full (for example, eight kilograms, seventy-seven mA milliampere
hectares). Mb/s megabit a second
MB megabyte, which is the amount of data transferred, as opposed to megabits, which is the speed of transfer
Abbreviation Unit of Measurement mcm million cubic metres, a unit of volume, but write out 36-million cubic metres of water a day
A Ampere MN meganewton
ac alternating current (in full unless with numbers) µg microgram
Ah Ampere hour µm microns, micrometre
B byte mg milligram
bar (unit) The bar (symbol bar), decibar (symbol dbar), centibar (symbol cbar), and millibar (symbol mbar or mb) are units of pressure. MHz megahertz
The bar is widely used in descriptions of pressure because it is only about 1% smaller than atmospheric pressure, and is MJ megajoule
legally recognised in countries of the European Union. Except for the power of ten, the definition of bar fits in the sequence
ml millilitre
of SI pressure units (Pa, kPa, MPa), namely, 1 bar = 100 000 Pa = 100 kPa = 0.1 MPa. This is in contrast to the well-known
unit of pressure, atmosphere, which now is defined to be 1.01325 bar exactly. As a rule of thumb, a bar is almost equal to an Mℓ megalitre
atmosphere. mm millimetre
bcm billion cubic metres ms milliseconds
bcf billion cubic feet mt metric ton
bl barrel Mtep million ton equivalent of petroleum
bbl barrels MPa MPa is a metric (SI) unit for pressure, or force per unit area. Pa is the Pascal, which is one Newton of force applied to one square
Bq symbol for the becquerel, an SI unit of radioactivity meter of area (1 N/m2). MPa is a mega-Pascal, or one-million Pascals. Since atmospheric pressure is 101 000 Pa, or 101 kPa
Cad computer-aided design (about 14.7 psi), this is about 9 atmospheres (around 150 psi).
Cam computer-aided manufacture MVA megavolt-ampere
cc3 cubic centimetre MVAr megavolt-ampere reactive
cm centimetre. Use for clothing and textiles, otherwise use millimetres (mm). MW megawatt
cmg/t raw gold (cm) grams a ton MWdc megawatt direct current
ct carat/s MWe megawatt electrical
cpht carats per hundred ton MWt megawatt thermal
CO2-e carbon dioxide equivalent Nano billionth
cSt kinematic viscosity is sometimes expressed in terms of centistokes (cSt or ctsk), named after George Gabriel Stokes. nm nautical miles
˚C degrees Celsius Nm Newton metre (Unit of Torque) 1 Nm = 0.737 lb-ft
dc direct current (in full unless with numbers) ns nanosecond
dB decibel Ω ohm, the derived SI unit of electrical resistance; the resistance between two points on a conductor when a constant potential
difference of 1 V between them produces a current of 1 A.
dm decimetre
oz ounce
DWT deadweight ton
Troy ounces The troy ounce is the only measure of the troy weighting system that is still used in modern times. It is used in the pricing of
fl oz fluid ounces
metals such as gold, platinum and silver. When the price of gold is said to be $653/oz, the ounce being referred to is a troy
g gram ounce, not a standard ounce.
Gb gigabits (network or internal circuits) oz3 cubic ounces
Gb/s gigabits a second pH A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution
GB gigabyte (high transmission) picovolt a unit of potential equal to one trillionth of a volt
GHz gigahertz ppm parts per million
GJ gigajoule ppb parts per billion
Gt gigatons psi pounds per square inch
gr grain rpm revolutions a minute
gro gross SI The international system of units of measurement. SI is used to reduce the number of zeros shown in numerical quantities. For
GWd/t gigawatt days a ton example, one-billionth of an ampere (a small electrical current) can be written as 0.000000001 ampere. In symbol form, this is
GWh/y gigawatt hours a year written as 0.000000001A. Using an SI prefix, this is equivalent to 1 nanoampere or 1 nA.
ha hectare t ton
hl hectolitre TB terabyte
Hz Hertz tcf trillion cubic feet
hp horsepower tcm trillion cubic metres
J joule TCu total copper
K Kelvin TDS total dissolved solids
KB kilobyte TJ terajoule
kgf/mm2 kilogram force a square millimetre TWh terawatt-hour
kg kilogram V volt
kHz kilohertz VAC Volts of alternating current
kl kilolitre W watt
km kilometre Wp watt-peak, a measure of power output, most often used in relation to photovoltaic solar energy devices. Related units such as
kN kilonewton kilowatt-peak or kilowatts-peak (kWp) and megawatts-peak are also used, and in the context of domestic installations kWp is
the most common unit encountered.
kNm kilonewton metres
kV kilovolt

34 35
Abbreviation Unit of Measurement Annexure Three
w/v An abbreviation for “weight by volume,” a slightly confusing phrase used in chemistry and pharmacology to describe the
concentration of a substance in a mixture or solution. The weight by volume is the mass (in grams) of the substance dissolved
in or mixed with 100 millilitres of solution or mixture. For example, the concentration of fluoride in toothpaste is usually about
Commonly used scientific elements and their abbreviations
0.15% w/v, meaning that there are 0.15 grams of fluoride for each 100 millilitres of toothpaste. Thus 1% w/v is equal to 1 gram Scientific elements must be spelled out in full on first appearance and referred to thereafter by their periodic symbol for example, carbon
a decilitre (g/dℓ) or 10 grams a litre (g/ℓ). dioxide (CO 2).
w/w An abbreviation for “by weight,” used in chemistry and pharmacology to describe the concentration of a substance in a mixture
or solution. Properly speaking, 2% w/w means that the mass of the substance is 2% of the total mass of the solution or mixture. Abbreviation Scientific Element
The metric symbol g/g has the same meaning as w/w. 4E pgm (platinum, palladium, gold and rhodium) platinum group metals
3 PGE+Au Three platinum group elements and gold
6 PGE+Au Six platinum group elements and gold
Å angstrom
CO carbon monoxide
CO2 carbon dioxide
CH4 methane
CFCs chlorofluorocarbons
CrC chromium carbide
DUF6 depleted uranium hexafluoride
NOx oxides of nitrogen
Nm Newton metre (Nm or N·m), a unit of torque
Nm3 The similar symbol Nm3 stands for ‘normal cubic metres’, a unit of volume (Normal in this context means at standard temperature
and pressure), although it also stands for “newton cubic metres” in SI notation.
P-239 plutonium-239
U 3O 8 uranium oxide
U-238 uranium-238

The Periodic Table List

Elements Sorted by Element Name
Name Symbol Name Symbol Name Symbol
Actinium Ac Gold Au Potassium K
Aluminium Al Hafnium Hf Praseodymium Pr
Americium Am Hassium Hs Promethium Pm
Antimony Sb Helium He Protactinium Pa
Argon Ar Holmium Ho Radium Ra
Arsenic As Hydrogen H Radon Rn
Astatine At Indium In Rhenium Re
Barium Ba Iodine I Rhodium Rh
Berkelium Bk Iridium Ir Rubidium Rb
Beryllium Be Iron Fe Ruthenium Ru
Bismuth Bi Krypton Kr Rutherfordium Rf
Bohrium Bh Lanthanum La Samarium Sm
Boron B Lawrencium Lr Scandium Sc
Bromine Br Lead Pb Seaborgium Sg
Cadmium Cd Lithium Li Selenium Se
Calcium Ca Lutetium Lu Silicon Si
Californium Cf Magnesium Mg Silver Ag
Carbon C Manganese Mn Sodium Na
Cerium Ce Meitnerium Mt Strontium Sr
Cesium Cs Mendelevium Md Sulphur S
Chlorine Cl Mercury Hg Tantalum Ta
Chromium Cr Molybdenum Mo Technetium Tc
Cobalt Co Neodymium Nd Tellurium Te
Copper Cu Neon Ne Terbium Tb
Curium Cm Neptunium Np Thallium Tl
Dubnium Db Nickel Ni Thorium Th
Dysprosium Dy Niobium Nb Thulium Tm
Einsteinium Es Nitrogen N Tin Sn
Erbium Er Nobelium No Titanium Ti
Europium Eu Osmium Os Tungsten W
Fermium Fm Oxygen O Uranium U
Fluorine F Palladium Pd Vanadium V
Francium Fr Phosphorus P Xenon Xe
Gadolinium Gd Platinum Pt Ytterbium Yb
Gallium Ga Plutonium Pu Zinc Zn
Germanium Ge Polonium Po Zirconium Zr

36 37
Annexure Four growth, employment and redistribution Gear
Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (German or Swiss limited private company) GMBH
Commonly used abbreviations H
Abbreviations should be written out in full at the first time of mention, followed immediately by the abbreviation in brackets. headline earnings a share HEPS
However, there are a few exceptions. Abbreviations followed by a * indicate that it is not necessary to use in full at the first time of mention. I
Independent Power Southern Africa Ipsa
A information and communication technology ICT
African National Congress ANC intelligent network IN
African National Congress Youth League ANCYL Internet of Things IoT
African Rainbow Minerals ARM input-output I/O
Airports Company South Africa ACSA J
Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union AMCU Joint Ore Reserves Committee Jorc
analogue to digital converter ADC L
alternating current ac large-coal dense-medium separator larcodem separator
Asymmetrical digital subscriber line ADSL lost-time injury frequency rate (per million hours worked) LTIFR
Aktiengesellschaft (German or Swiss public limited company). AG light-emitting diode LED
In common with Pty and Ltd, this abbreviation is not used when mentioning company names in text for Creamer London Metal Exchange LME
Media purposes, for example, do not use Glass Company Ltd, Glass Company will suffice. M
alternative investment market Aim Medium-Term Expenditure Framework MTEF
Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa Asgisa Member of Parliament MP*
application App* Member of the Executive Council MEC
automatic teller machine ATM memorandum of understanding MoU
Minerals Council South Africa Minerals Council
B
Minerals Resource Rent Tax MRRT
black economic empowerment BEE
Movement for Democratic Change MDC
broad-based black economic empowerment BBBEE
Multiyear price determination MYPD
C
N
carats per hundred tons cpht
National Occupational Safety Association NOSA*
central processing unit CPU
nondistributive reserves NDR
Coal of Africa Limited (include ‘Limited’ as it is used in the acronym) CoAL
O
computer-aided design Cad
original-equipment manufacturer OEM
computer-aided manufacture Cam
P
computer numeric control or computer numerically controlled CNC platinum-group metals PGMs
Congress of the People Cope portable document format PDF*
Congress of South African Trade Unions Cosatu prefeasibility study PFS
D preliminary economic assessment PEA
definitive feasibility study DFS printed circuit board PCB
dense-medium separation DMS programmable logic controller PLC
director-general DG proportional integral derivative Pid
digital versatile disc DVD R
Deutsches Institut für Normung DIN random access memory Ram
E rare-earth element REE
earnings per share EPS read only memory Rom
earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation Ebitda real estate investment trust Reit
renewable-energy feed-in tariff Refit
Energy & Water Sector Education and Training Authority EWSETA
Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme REIPPPP
Engineering Council of South Africa ECSA
request for information RfI
engineering, procurement and construction EPC
return on investment RoI
engineering, procurement and construction management EPCM
request for proposal RfP
environmental-impact assessment EIA
research and development R&D
European Commission EC run-of-mine RoM
European Union EU
S
enhanced video connector EVC Science, technology, engineering and maths STEM
F short message service SMS*
Fédération Internationale de Football Association FIFA* silver-equivalent ounce SEO
Fourth Industrial Revolution 4IR solvent extraction and electrowinning SX-EW
front-end engineering and design FEED Stock Exchange News Service Sens
G South African Code for the Reporting of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Samrec
gas to power GtP Southern African Development Community SADC
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Gatt South African National Energy Development Institute SANEDI
General Export Incentive Scheme Geis South African National Roads Agency Limited (include ‘Limited” as it is used in the acronym Sanral
South African National Space Agency SANSA
geographical information system GIS
South African Photovoltaic Industry Association SAPVIA
global systems mobile GSM
South African Reserve Bank SARB
gold-equivalent ounce GEO
South African Wind Energy Association SAWEA
gross domestic product GDP
small-, medium-sized and microenterprises SMMEs
Group of Eight G8
Group of Twenty G20

38 39
strategic integrated projects SIPs Annexure Five
subscriber identity module Sim*
supervisory control and data acquisition Scada
T
Glossary of standards authorities
technical and vocational education and training TVET While ISO is in common usage and does not have to be written out in full unless used without numbers, the rest are not well known to our readers
three-dimensional system 3D system
and would have to be written out in full.
U
United Association of South Africa Uasa*
underground coal gasification UCG APLAC Asian Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
United Kingdom UK* ARSO Africa Regional Standards Organisation
uninterruptible power supply UPS Beltest Belgisch Accreditatiesysteem; Testen en Keuring
United Nations UN BIPM Bureau International de Poids et Mesures, Paris
United Nations Industrial Development Organisation UNIDO BKO/OBE Belgische Kalibratie Organisatie
Universal Serial Bus USB* BMwA Austria
upper group two UG2 CNACL China National Accreditation Committee for Laboratories
V CNLA Chinese National Laboratory Accreditation
very important person VIP COFRAC Comité Français; Accréditation
value-added tax VAT DANAK Dansk Akkreditering
W DAR Deutscher Akkreditierungsrat
World Wide Fund for Nature WWF DKD Deutsch Kalibrierdienst
World Wide Web WWW DTI Department of Trade and Industry
Z EA European Cooperation for Accreditation
Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front Zanu-PF* EMAS European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
ENC Entidad Nacional de Acreditatión
EU European Union
Commonly used plastics FINAS Finnish Accreditation Service
Name Abbreviation FRIDGE Fund for Research into Industrial Development Economic Growth and Equity
acrylonitrile butadienestyrene ABS HOKLAS Hong Kong Accreditation Service
ethylene propylene dymonomer EPDM IAAC Inter American Accreditation Cooperation
ethylene propylene monomer EPT IAF International Accreditation Forum
fluorinated ethylene propylene FEP IANZ International Accreditation New Zealand
high-density polyethylene HDPE IATCA International Audit and Training Certification Association
low-density polyethylene LDPE IEC International Electrotechnical Commission
polyamide LPA ILAB Irish National Accreditation Board
polycrystalline silicon polysilicon ILAC International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
polyethylene terephthalate PET IPQ Instituto Português da Qualidade
polymethylmethacrylate PMMA ISO International Organisation for Standardisation
polypropylene PP JAB Japan Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment
polytetrafluoroethylene PTFE (Teflon) JNLA Japan National Laboratory Accreditation System
polyvinyl chloride PVC KOLAS Korean Laboratory Accreditation Service
NA Norwegian Accreditation
NATA National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
NEDLAC National Economic Development and Labour Advisory Council
NEPAD The New Partnership for Africa’s Development
NCS National Calibration Service, South Africa
NLA National Laboratory Accreditation Service, South Africa
NMISA National Metrology Institute of South Africa
OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
RAAF Representative Accreditation Advisory Forum
RvA Raad voor Accreditatie
SAATCA South African Auditor and Training Certification Association
SABS South African Bureau of Standards
SADC Southern African Development Community
SADCA Southern African Development Committee for Accreditation
SANAS South African National Accreditation System
SAQI South African Quality Institute
SANS South African National Standards
SAS Swiss Accreditation Service
SINCERT Accreditamento Organisi Certificazione Italy
SIT Servizio Italiano di Taratura
SWEDAC Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organisation
UKAS United Kingdom Accreditation Service

Source: SANAS

40 41
Annexure Six Block caving
An inexpensive method of mining in which large blocks of ore are undercut, causing the ore to break or cave under its own weight.

Glossary of Mining Terms Bord-and-pillar mining (see room-and-pillar)

Acid treatment
Acid treatment is the process of soaking activated carbon granules in a diluted hydrochloric acid solution to dissolve calcium carbonate and Breast stoping
other impurities that have become absorbed in the carbon, and that, thereby, reduce the ability to adsorb gold. A method of stoping employed on veins where the dip is not sufficient for the broken ore to be removed by gravity. The ore remains close to the
working face and must be loaded into cars at that point.
Adit
Brownfield
An adit is a type of entrance to an underground mine and is horizontal or nearly horizontal. Adits are usually built into the side of a hill or
The term brownfield is used in mining, construction and development to reference land that at some point was occupied by a permanent
mountain, and often occur when a measure of coal or an orebody is located inside the mountain but above the adjacent valley floor or coastal structure. In a brownfield project the structure would need to be demolished or renovated or rebuilt from an existing one.
plain. In cases where the mineral vein outcrops at the surface, the adit may follow the vein until it is worked out. The use of adits is generally
called drift mining.
Bulk sample
A large sample of mineralised rock, frequently hundreds of tons, selected in such a manner as to be representative of the potential orebody being
Adjusted gross margin sampled. Used to determine metallurgical characteristics on an industrial scale.
Adjusted gross profit (loss) divided by gold sales including realised nonhedge derivatives.
By-product
Adjusted gross profit (loss) A secondary metal or mineral product recovered in the milling process or any products that emanate from the core process of producing gold,
Gross profit (loss) excluding unrealised nonhedge derivatives and other commodity contracts. including silver, uranium and sulphuric acid.

Calc-silicate rock
Adjusted headline earnings
A metamorphic rock consisting mainly of calcium-bearing silicates such as diopside and wollastonite, and formed by metamorphism of impure
Headline earnings excluding unrealised nonhedge derivatives, fair value adjustments on the option component of the convertible bond, fair value limestone or dolomite.
gain (loss) on interest rate swap, adjustments to other commodity contracts and deferred tax thereon.
Capital employed
All-in sustaining cost Equity plus minority interests, interest-bearing debt, less loans and cash. Where average capital employed is referred to, this is the average of
According to the World Gold Council, “all-in sustaining costs” are an extension to the “cash cost” metrics used by gold miners and it includes the figures at the beginning and the end of the financial year.
costs related to sustaining production, such as capital expenditure and exploration costs to replenish mined reserves.
Capital expenditure
Assay Total capital expenditure on tangible assets, which includes stay-in-business and project capital.
A chemical test performed on a rock sample to determine the amount – or grade – of valuable metal contained.
Captive mine
Artisanal and small-scale mining A mine that produces coal or mineral for use by the same company.
Low-tech, labour intensive mineral processing and excavation activity, which is an economic mainstay in rural sub-Saharan Africa, providing
Carat/karat
direct employment to over two-million people.
Carat (ct) is a unit of weight to measure diamonds and gemstones, while karat (kt) indicates gold purity.
Small-scale mining falls into two broad categories: the mining and quarrying of industrial minerals and construction materials on a small scale;
and the mining of relatively high-value minerals, notably gold and precious stones. Carbon columns
Any vertical cylindrical vessels used to contain granules of activated carbon for processes such as the extraction of gold from solution, elution
The first is mostly for local markets and exists in every country. Regulations to control and tax these mines and quarries are often in place, and or acid treatment.
the existence of informal or illegal operations at this level is generally attributable to a lack of inspection and the lax enforcement of regulations
rather than to the lack of a legal framework, much the same as for small manufacturing plants. Carbon-in-leach (CIL)
Gold is leached from a slurry of gold ore with cyanide in agitated tanks and adsorbed on carbon granules in the same circuit. The carbon
The output from the second category of small-scale mines is generally exported. The size and character of small-scale mining of this type has granules are separated from the slurry and treated in an elution circuit to remove the gold.
often made what laws there are impossible to apply or has highlighted their inadequacy. The vast majority of the diggers are very poor, exploiting
marginal deposits in harsh and sometimes dangerous conditions – and having considerable negative impact on the environment. Carbon-in-pulp (CIP)
Gold is leached conventionally from a slurry of gold ore with cyanide in agitated tanks. The leached slurry then passes into the CIP circuit where
carbon granules are mixed with the slurry and gold is adsorbed on the carbon. The granules are separated from the slurry and treated in an
Artisanal diamond mining elution circuit to remove the gold.
To a large extent, artisanal diamond mining is a livelihood strategy adopted primarily by rural and small village populations for whom it appears
to be the most promising income opportunity. Cash costs
Cash costs include site costs for all mining (excluding deferred development costs), processing and administration, but are exclusive of royalties,
Almost all artisanal miners are unregistered, unregulated and unprotected. Most work for nothing except what they are lucky enough to find. production taxes, amortisation and rehabilitation, as well as corporate administration, capital and exploration costs.
Their work is dirty, hard, sometimes dangerous, and it produces little more than a couple of hundred dollars a year for most diggers. In fact, the
competitive scramble in a largely informal economy only serves to drive prices down at the pit level, creating a lucrative business for middlemen. Cash gross margin
Cash gross profit (loss) divided by, for example, gold sales, including realised nonhedge derivatives.
Children are widely involved; residents of the mining areas complain of environmental degradation, water pollution, and the influx of a migrant
labour force with high rates of prostitution and HIV/Aids. Family and societal violence follow. And most alluvial diamond diggers lead hard,
Cash gross profit (loss)
insecure, dangerous and unhealthy lives. With average earnings of less than a dollar a day they fall squarely into the broad category of “absolute
Adjusted gross profit (loss) plus amortisation of tangible and intangible assets less noncash revenues.
poverty”.
Channel width
Among initiatives aimed at tackling the issues surrounding artisanal diamond mining is the Diamond Development Initiative, which aims to gather
The total thickness of all reef bands, including internal waste mined as one unit.
all interested parties into a process that will address, in a comprehensive way, the political, social and economic challenges facing the artisanal
diamond mining sector in order to optimise the beneficial development impact of artisanal diamond mining to miners and their communities
within the countries in which the diamonds are mined. Coke
Coke is a solid carbon fuel and carbon source used to melt and reduce iron-ore.
Backfill Cokemaking
Waste material used to fill the void created by mining an orebody to provide both regional and localised support. The processes used to make coke. The process begins with pulverised, bituminous coal. The coal is fed into a coke oven, which is sealed and
heated to very high temperatures for 14 to 36 hours. After completion, the coke is moved to quenching towers and stored until it is needed.
Below collar
A distance below the surface elevation of a shaft. Comminution
Comminution is a group of mineral processing techniques used in extractive metallurgy to reduce rock sizes through crushing or grinding.
BIF Comminution processes are used to pulverise rocks for further processing.
Banded ironstone formation – a chemically formed iron-rich sedimentary rock.
The machinery used for comminution is usually divided into classes based on the size of the fragments produced, crushers producing coarse
material and grinders producing finer particles.
Blast furnace
A shaft furnace in which solid fuel (coke) is burned with an air blast to smelt ore in a continuous operation. It would therefore be correct to refer to a company producing this machinery as a comminutions company. (See also ‘Milling’)
42 43
Competent person Ebitda
A Competent Person’s Report (CPR) is a Techno-Economic Report. It represents the opinions on a deposit of a registered professional, Operating profit (loss) before amortisation of tangible and intangible assets, impairment of tangible and intangible assets, profit (loss) on disposal
independent of the client and its subsidiaries. By reason of his/her education, professional associations and past relevant work experience, the of assets and investments and unrealised nonhedge derivatives, plus the share of associates’ Ebitda.
person is deemed as qualified to form an opinion of the deposit. A full CPR is required for listing on the JSE and will also be accepted for listing
on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM. Effective tax rate
Current and deferred taxation as a percentage of net profit before taxation.
The technical equivalents of the CPR are the NI43-101 Technical Report and the Jorc Qualified Person’s Report.
Electric arc furnaces (EAFs)
Concentrate Electric arc furnaces are often used in large steel foundries and steel mills. The metal is charged into the furnace, with additives to make recovery
A fine, powdery product separated in the milling process that contains a high percentage of valuable metal. of slag easier, and heat to melt the metal is produced with an electric arc from three carbon or granite electrodes. Frequently mills producing
steel with EAF technology are called minimills.
Concentrator
A process where iron-ore is upgraded to a higher iron content. Electrowinning
Recovery of metal from solution by electrolysis. A process of recovering gold from solution by means of electrolytic chemical reaction into a
Contained gold form that can be smelted easily into gold bars.
The total gold content of the orebody (tons multiplied by grade), irrespective of economic potential and without deduction for mining and
processing losses prior to recovery. Elution
Recovery of the gold from the activated carbon into solution before zinc precipitation or electrowinning.
Crushing
The process of breaking up large rocks into smaller rocks, gravel or rock dust. Crushing is an essential part of mining, reducing run-of-mine ore Energy optimising furnace (EOF)
to a size that can be easily transported or processed. The EOF was developed to replace the electric arc and other steelmaking furnaces. The EOF is an oxygen steelmaking process. Carbon and
oxygen react to preheat scrap metal, hot metal and/or pig iron.
Cupola furnace
Environmental baseline studies
Cupola furnaces are tall, cylindrical furnaces used to melt iron and ferroalloys in foundry operations. Alternating layers of metal and ferroalloys,
coke and limestone are fed into the furnace from the top. The environmental monitoring work completed before a production decision is taken on a mining project, examining the existing state of the
environment and the potential effects that proposed mining activities will have on the natural surroundings. The studies will include ground water
(lakes, streams, rivers etc), wildlife (plants and animals), potential noise levels from construction and mining operations, potential impacts from
Cut-and-fill ongoing mining operations such as dust and vibration levels etc.
A method of stoping in which ore is removed in slices, or lifts, and then the excavation is filled with rock or other waste material (backfill), before
the subsequent slice is extracted. Environmental-impact study
A written report, compiled prior to a production decision that examines the effects proposed mining activities will have on the natural surroundings.
Cutoff grade
The estimated lowest grade of ore that can be mined and treated profitably in a mining operation, for example, a cutoff grade of 20% iron (Fe) Equity
implies that any material containing less than 20% Fe will be uneconomical to mine. If the average mine grade drops below the cutoff grade, the Shareholders’ equity adjusted for other comprehensive income and deferred taxation. Where average equity is referred to, this is calculated by
mine will operate at a loss. averaging the figures at the beginning and the end of the financial year.

Debt Exploration
Borrowings including short-term portion, plus debentures. Activities associated with ascertaining the existence, location, extent or quality of mineralised material, including economic and technical
evaluation of mineralised material.
Decline
A sloping, underground opening for machine access from level to level or from surface; also called a ramp. Feasibility study (Bankable feasibility study)
A detailed engineering study which defines the technical, economic, social and legal viability of a mining project with a high degree of reliability,
Depletion identifying and quantifying any risks and providing sufficient information to determine whether or not the project should be advanced to the final
The decrease in quantity of ore in a deposit or property resulting from extraction or production. engineering and construction stage. A bankable feasibility study forms the basis on which banks and other lenders provide the capital necessary
to build the mine(s).
Development
The process of accessing an orebody through shafts and/or tunnelling in underground mining operations. Fines
• Development reef – all development on the reef horizon. Material that passes through a standard screen on which coarser fragments are retained.
• Development waste – all development in country rock.
Flotation
Dilution A milling and concentration process in which valuable mineral particles are induced to become attached to bubbles and float away from the
Mixing of ore grade material with nonore grade waste material in the mining process. Dilution reduces the overall grade of the ore. waste particles in a solid/solution pulp. Specific chemicals are added to either float (foam off) particular minerals or to depress the flotation of
other minerals. Several stages of processing are generally involved with rough bulk flotation products being subjected to additional flotation
steps to increase product purity.
Direct-reduced iron (DRI)
Produced from the direct reduction of iron-ore (in form of lumps, pellets or fines) by a reducing gas produced from natural gas or coal. Direct- Free cash flow
reduced iron is richer in iron than pig iron, typically between 90% and 94% total iron, as opposed to about 93% for molten pig iron, and an
Net cash inflow from operating activities less stay-in-business capital expenditure.
excellent feedstock for the electric furnaces used by minimills, allowing them to use lower grades of scrap for the rest of the charge.

Gangue
Diorite
The worthless minerals in an ore deposit.
An igneous rock formed by the solidification of molten material.
Grade
Discontinued operation The metal content of ore measured in grams a ton or per cent. For example:
A component of an entity that, pursuant to a single plan, has been disposed of or abandoned or is classified as held-for-sale until conditions • The company additionally reviewed grab samples of ore currently being exploited by local artisanal miners that returned between 4 g/t and 22
precedent to the sale have been fulfilled. g/t gold, while veins sampled graded between 1 g/t and 3 g/t gold, with significant grades of silver also reported. One sample of lead-zinc-silver
ore returned 24% zinc and 105 g/t silver.
Dividend cover • Kagara noted that the ore produced so far was outside the indicated and inferred resource estimate of 1.15-million tons grading 4.6% nickel
Headline earnings before unrealised hedging activities for each ordinary share divided by dividends for each ordinary share. • Note that grade is written as 0.18% tungsten and not 0.18% of tungsten.

Drill bit Greenfield

Drill bits are cutting tools used to create cylindrical holes. Bits are held in a tool called a drill, which rotates them and provides torque and axial The term greenfield is used in mining, construction and development to reference land that has never been used, where there is no need to
force to create the hole. Specialised bits are also available for noncylindrical-shaped holes. demolish or rebuild any existing structures.

The other end of the drill bit is the shank. Drill bits come in standard sizes. The term drill can refer to a drilling machine, or can refer to a drill bit for Greenschist
use in a drilling machine. For clarity, use drill bit or bit throughout to refer to a bit for use in a drilling machine, and drill to refer to a drilling machine. A schistose metamorphic rock whose green colour is due to the presence of chlorite, epidote or actinolite.
44 45
Gross margin percentage Magnetite
Adjusted gross profit (loss) as a percentage of, for example, gold income including realised nonhedge derivatives. Fe 3 O4, iron oxide – a dense metallic grey ore mineral of iron.

Hanging wall Metallurgical plant

The rock on the upper side of a vein or ore deposit. A processing plant erected to treat ore and extract gold or other metal.

Head grade Metallurgy

A general term referring to the grade of ore delivered to the processing plant. The study and practice of removing valuable metals from an ore and refining the extracted raw metals into a purer form.

Heap leaching Mill

A process whereby valuable metals (usually gold and silver) are leached from a heap, or pad, of crushed ore by leaching solutions percolating A processing plant which crushes and treats ore for the purpose of upgrading the mineral content into a higher-grade product called a
down through the heap and are collected from a sloping, impermeable liner below the pad. concentrate, or to produce metal.

Hedging Milling
The sale of a commodity at fixed future prices in order to guard against price uncertainty and guarantee revenue streams. Commonly practised The comminution of the ore, although the term has come to cover the broad range of machinery inside the treatment plant where the mineral is
in the gold market. separated from the ore. Essentially, milling reduces broken ore to a size at which concentrating can be undertaken. (See also ‘comminution’).

An unhedged company is one that is not hedging its prices. A dehedging company is one that was previously hedged, but is reducing its Mine call factor
hedging. The ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the total quantity of recovered and unrecovered mineral product after processing with the amount
estimated in the ore based on sampling. The ratio of contained gold delivered to the metallurgical plant divided by the estimated contained gold
Hematite of ore mined based on sampling.
The mineral form of iron oxide (Fe 2O 3); one of several iron oxides.
Mineable
Illustrative dividend rate That portion of a mineralised deposit for which extraction is technically and economically feasible.
For illustrative purposes, a US dollar dividend value has been provided based on the rate of exchange ruling on the date of declaration.
Mineralogy
Induction furnaces The study of the chemistry and physical properties of ore and gangue minerals within mineral deposits.
Induction furnaces are the most widely used type of furnace for melting iron and are increasingly popular for melting nonferrous metals (USEPA,
1992). They are popular because they provide excellent metallurgical control and are relatively pollution free. Mineral deposit
A mineralised body, which has been delineated by appropriately spaced drilling and/or underground sampling to support a sufficient tonnage
In situ deposit and average grade of metal. This material or deposit does not qualify as a reserve until a comprehensive evaluation, based on costs, grade,
The original natural state of the orebody before mining or processing of the ore takes place. The reserves are still in the ground. recoveries and other factors, demonstrates economic feasibility. Consequently, although the potential exists, there is no assurance that this
mineral deposit will ever become an ore reserve.
Interest cover
Ebitda divided by finance costs and unwinding of obligations. Mineral reserve
A mineral reserve is the economically mineable material derived from a measured and/or indicated mineral resource. It is inclusive of diluting
Internal waste materials and allows for losses that may occur when the material is mined. Appropriate assessments, which may include feasibility studies,
have been carried out, including consideration of, and modification by, realistically assumed mining, metallurgical, economic, marketing, legal,
Any waste within the reef channel.
environmental, social and governmental factors. These assessments demonstrate at the time of reporting that extraction is reasonably justified.
Mineral reserves are subdivided in order of increasing confidence into probable mineral reserves and proven mineral reserves.
Intrusive event
The intrusion of an igneous body into older rocks. Mineral resource
A mineral resource is a concentration (or occurrence) of material of economic interest in or on the earth’s crust in such form, quality and quantity
Ironmaking that there are reasonable and realistic prospects for eventual economic extraction. The location, quantity, grade, continuity and other geological
During ironmaking, iron-ore, coke, heated air and limestone or other fluxes are fed into a blast furnace to produce molten iron that is free from characteristics of a mineral resource are known, estimated from specific geological evidence and knowledge, or interpreted from a well-constrained
impurities. and portrayed geological model. Mineral resources are subdivided, in order of increasing confidence in respect of geoscientific evidence, into
inferred, indicated and measured categories.
Iron-ore
Rocks or deposits containing compounds from which iron can be made. Mineral resource classification
There are several classification schemes worldwide, however the Canadian CIM classification (NI 43-101), the Australasian Joint Ore Reserves
Leaching Committee Code (Jorc Code), and the South African Code for the Reporting of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (Samrec) are the general
Dissolution of gold from crushed or milled material, including reclaimed slime, prior to absorption on activated carbon. standards.

An inferred mineral resource has a lower level of confidence than that applied to an indicated mineral resource. An indicated mineral resource has a
Ledging higher level of confidence than an inferred mineral resource but has a lower level of confidence than a measured mineral resource.
The phase of mining of ore before stoping operations 1. Inferred mineral resource – An inferred mineral resource is that part of a mineral resource for which tonnage, grade and mineral content can
be estimated with a low level of confidence. It is inferred from geological evidence and assumed but not verified in terms of geological and/or
Level grade continuity. It is based on information gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings
The workings or tunnels of an underground mine which are on the same horizontal plane. and drill holes that may be limited or of uncertain quality and reliability.
2. Indicated mineral resource – An indicated mineral resource is the part of a mineral resource for which tonnage, densities, shape, physical
characteristics, grade and mineral content can be estimated with a reasonable level of confidence. It is based on exploration, sampling and
Life-of-mine (LoM) testing information gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes. The
Number of years that the operation is planning to mine and treat ore, and is taken from the current mine plan. locations are too widely or inappropriately placed to confirm geological and/or grade continuity but are spaced closely enough for continuity
to be assumed.
Longwall mining 3. Measured mineral resource – A measured mineral resource is that part of a mineral resource for which tonnage, densities, shape, physical
An underground high-productivity mechanised mining system for extracting panels or blocks of mineral, usually coal. characteristics, grade and mineral content can be estimated with a high level of confidence. It is based on detailed and reliable exploration,
sampling and testing information gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill
Market capitalisation holes. The locations are spaced close enough to confirm geological continuity.
Number of ordinary shares in issue at close of business on December 31 multiplied by the closing share price as quoted on the JSE.
Further classification:
• Probable mineral reserve – A probable mineral reserve is the mineable material derived from a measured and/or indicated mineral resource. It
Metallurgical plant is estimated with a lower level of confidence than a proved mineral reserve. It is inclusive of diluting materials and allows for losses that may occur
Processing plant used to treat ore and extract the contained metals. when the material is mined. Appropriate assessments, which may include feasibility studies, have been carried out, including consideration of,
and modification by, realistically assumed mining, metallurgical, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, social and governmental factors.
Magnetic separation These assessments demonstrate at the time of reporting that extraction is reasonably justified.
A process in which a magnetically susceptible mineral is separated from waste or undesirable minerals by applying a strong magnetic field; ores • Proven mineral reserve – A proven mineral reserve is the economically mineable material derived from a measured mineral reserve. It
of iron are commonly treated in this way. is estimated with a high level of confidence. It is inclusive of diluting materials and allows for losses that may occur when the material is
46 47
 mined. Appropriate assessments, which may include feasibility studies, have been carried out, including consideration of and modification by,
realistically assumed mining, metallurgical, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, social and governmental factors. These assessments
demonstrate at the time of reporting that extraction is reasonably justified.
Minimills
Steel production plants that rely on steel scrap as a base material rather than on ore. Products do not have the tight chemical composition of
integrated plants and have narrower product lines.
Mining rights (South Africa)
Mining companies that hold old-order mining rights have to convert those rights to new-order mining rights (which can be issued for up to
30 years) to continue mining in South Africa.
The principal requirement of the Mining Charter is black ownership of 15% by 2009 and 26% by 2014.
• When writing about mining licence applications for projects, it is not necessary to use “the submission for the new-order mining rights
application”, when “the submission for the mining rights application” is better.
Monetary asset
An asset that will be settled in a fixed or easily determinable amount of money.
Net asset value per share
Total equity in the balance sheet divided by the shares in issue.
Net capital employed
Equity as defined above plus minority interests and interest-bearing borrowings, less cash and cash equivalents and other cash investments.
Where average net capital employed is referred to, this is the average of the figures at the beginning and the end of the financial year.
Net debt
Borrowings less cash and cash equivalents and other cash investments.
Net operating assets
Mining assets, inventories, trade and other receivables (excluding value-added taxation), less trade and other payables.
Ounce (plural ounces) abbreviation oz.
1. An avoirdupois ounce, weighing 1/16 of an avoirdupois pound, or 28.3495 grams.
2. A troy ounce, weighing 1/12 of a troy pound, or 480 grains, or 31.1035 grams.
3. A US fluid ounce, with a volume of 1/16 of a US pint, 1.804 687 cubic inches or 29.573 531 millilitres.
4. A British imperial fluid ounce, with a volume of 1/20 of an imperial pint, 1.733871 cubic inches or 28.413063 millilitres.
Overburden
Soil, rock and other material that has to be removed to access the economic mineral in opencast mining.
Pay limit
The grade of a unit of ore at which the revenue from the recovered mineral content of the ore is equal to the total cash cost including ore reserve
development and stay-in-business capital. This grade is expressed as an in situ value in grams a ton or ounces a short ton (before dilution and
mineral losses).
Pellet
A small, round, marble-sized ball of iron-ore manufactured as feed for blast furnaces.
Pelletising
The process by which iron-ore is crushed, ground into a powder, rolled into balls and fired in a furnace to produce strong, marble-sized pellets
that contain 60% to 65% iron. Raw iron-ore pellets are generally manufactured within certain size categories and with mechanical properties
high enough to maintain usefulness during the stresses of transference, transport and use. Both mechanical force and thermal processes are
used to produce the correct pellet properties.
Pig iron
The intermediate product of smelting steel ore with coke and resin. Pig iron has a very high carbon content, typically 3.5% to 4.5%, which makes
it very brittle and not useful directly as a material except for limited applications. Pig iron is typically poured directly out of the bottom of the blast
furnace through a trough into a ladle car for transfer to the steel plant in liquid form, referred to as hot metal.
Pillar mining
The mining of scattered blocks of reef of variable size usually associated with older shafts, which have been left behind and are now being mined
in the final clean-up stage of the mine’s orebody.

Net operating assets Precipitate

Tangible assets, the current and noncurrent portion of inventories, current and noncurrent trade and other receivables (excluding recoverable
tax, rebates, levies and duties), less current and noncurrent trade and other payables and deferred income (excluding unearned premiums on
normal sale extended contracts).
Net smelter return (NSR)
A royalty payment made by a producer of metals based on gross metal production from the property, less deduction of certain limited costs
including smelting, refining, transportation and insurance costs.
The solid product of chemical reaction by fluids such as the zinc precipitation referred to below.
Prefeasibility study
A relatively comprehensive analysis that is qualified by the availability and accuracy of fundamental criteria and assumptions to the degree that
it cannot be the basis for final decisions. This is a preliminary assessment of the economic viability of a deposit and forms the basis for justifying
the completion of a more expensive feasibility study. A prefeasibility study summarises all geological, engineering, environmental, legal and
economic information accumulated to date on the project. The prefeasibility study should have error limits of about 25%.

Net tangible asset value per share Prestripping

Total equity in balance sheet less intangible assets, divided by the number of ordinary shares in issue. Removal of overburden (waste rock) in advance of beginning operations to remove ore in an openpit operation.

Nonhedge derivative and other commodity contract gain (loss) Price received ($/oz and R/kg)
Derivatives that are neither designated as meeting the normal sale exemption under IAS 39, nor designated as cash flow hedges and other Attributable gold income including realised nonhedge derivatives divided by attributable ounces/kilograms sold.
commodity contracts.

The company said loss on nonhedge derivatives and other commodity contracts was R11.22-billion or $1.42-billion compared with gain on
Productivity
nonhedge derivatives and other commodity contracts of R148-million or $92-million last year. An expression of labour productivity based, for example, either on the ratio of grams of gold produced a month to the total number of employees
or area mined (in square metres) a month to the total number of employees in underground mining operations.
Normal purchase normal sale exemption (NPSE)
Hedge contracts designated as meeting the exemption criteria under IAS 39.
Project capital
Capital expenditure (capex) to either bring a new operation into production; to materially increase production capacity; or to materially extend
the productive life of an asset.
NI 43-101 (National Instrument 43-101)
A set of reporting and disclosure standards imposed by regulators on Canadian-listed mining and exploration companies that govern how
issuers report scientific and technical information about their mineral projects to the public anywhere in the world. It covers oral statements as
Pyrite flotation
well as written documents and websites, and it requires that all disclosure be based on advice by a “qualified person”. This is the addition of a suite of chemicals to a mixture of ground ore and solution in such a way that a froth rich in pyrite, which also contains
gold, floats to the surface for collection.
Nonrefractory ore
Ore that is relatively easy to treat for recovery of the valuable substances.
Qualified person (also see competent person)
A qualified person (QP) is defined in NI43-101 (see above definition) as an individual who is an engineer or geoscientist with at least five years of
experience in mineral exploration, mine development or operation or mineral project assessment, or any combination of these; has experience
Nugget relevant to the subject matter of the mineral project and the technical report; and is a member of good standing of a professional association.
A small mass of precious metal, found free in nature.
The QP must warrant the accuracy and completeness of a company’s technical reports and public disclosures such as press releases or
Openpit presentations and retains professional responsibility for the contents of the report.
A mine that is entirely on surface. Also referred to as an opencast mine.
Realised nonhedge derivatives
Operating margin % Represents the current year income statement effect of nonhedge derivatives that were settled during the current year.
Operating profit as a percentage of product (gold) income.
Reclamation
Ore In the South African context, reclamation describes the process of reclaiming slimes (tailings) dumps using high-pressure water cannons to form
A mixture of valuable minerals and gangue minerals from which at least one of the minerals can be extracted at a profit. a slurry, which is pumped back to the metallurgical plants for processing.
48 49
Recovered/Recovery grade Shaft
The actual grade of ore realised after the mining and treatment process. The recovered mineral content for each unit of ore treated. A shaft provides principal access to the underground workings for transporting personnel, equipment, supplies, ore and waste. A shaft is also
used for ventilation, and as an auxiliary exit. It is equipped with a hoist system that lowers and raises conveyances for men, material and ore in
Reef the shaft.
A gold-bearing sedimentary horizon, normally a conglomerate band that may contain economic levels of gold.
Slag
Refining The vitreous mass separated from the fused metals in the smelting process, for example impurities in the iron-ore that have been captured by
The final purification process of a metal or mineral. limestone or other fluxes.

Rehabilitation Sliping
The process of reclaiming land disturbed by mining to allow an appropriate post-mining use. Rehabilitation standards are defined by country- The widening of an existing excavation, either by mechanical or explosive means, to increase its overall dimensions.
specific laws including, but not limited to, the South African Department of Mineral Resources, the US Bureau of Land Management, the US
Forest Service, and the relevant Australian mining authorities, and tackle, among other issues, ground and surface water, topsoil, final slope Smelting
gradient, waste handling and revegetation issues. The impact on neighbouring communities is of vital importance. Thermal processing whereby molten metal is liberated from beneficiated ore or concentrate with impurities separating as lighter slag.

Related party Stay-in-business capital

Parties are considered related if one party has the ability to control the other party or exercise significant influence over the other party in making Capital expenditure to maintain existing production assets, including replacement of vehicles, plant and machinery, ore reserve development
financial and operating decisions. and capex related to safety, health and the environment.

Resource calculation Steel

The mathematical or statistical process of calculating or estimating the amount of material in a mineral deposit, using drill hole information in Steel is an alloy of iron usually containing less than 1% carbon which is used most frequently in the automotive and construction industries or is
combination with a variety of geological data. Resources are generally quoted in terms of tons of rock present which contain a specified grade cast into bars, strips, sheets, nails, spikes, wire, rods or pipes as needed by the intended user.
of metal(s), for example 98-million tons at 43% iron.
Strip ratio
Return on equity The ratio of tons of overburden waste material to tons of ore in an openpit mine.
Adjusted headline earnings expressed as a percentage of the average equity, adjusted for the timing of acquisitions and disposals.
Stope/s
Return on net capital The underground excavation within the orebody where the main production takes place.
Adjusted headline earnings before finance costs and unwinding of decommissioning and restoration obligations expressed as a percentage of
average net capital employed, adjusted for the timing of acquisitions and disposals.
Stoping
The process of mining the orebody on the plane of the reef.
Rod and tube mills
These are types of circular grinding mills used to break the ore down into fine particles in preparation for dissolving out the gold by means of
Stoping width
cyanide.
The sum of the channel width and external waste widths.

Room-and-pillar (also called bord-and-pillar)

Strike
A mining system in which the mined material is extracted across a horizontal plane while leaving pillars of untouched material to support the
The direction in which a horizontal line can be drawn on a plane.
overburden leaving open areas or rooms underground. It is usually used for relatively flat-lying deposits, such as those that follow a particular
stratum.
Syngenetic
Royalty Formed contemporaneously with the deposition of the sediment.
An amount of money paid at regular intervals by the lessee or operator of an exploration or mining property to the owner of the ground. Generally
based on a certain amount a ton or a percentage of the total production or profits. Also, the fee paid for the right to use a patented process. Tailings
The portion of the ore from which most of the valuable material has been removed by concentrating and that is, therefore, low in value and
Secondary gold recovery rejected.
Any scavenging process for gold following initial primary gold recovery.
Tailings dam
Seismic event Dams or dumps created from waste material from processed ore after the economically recoverable metal has been extracted.
A sudden inelastic deformation within a given volume of rock that radiates detectable seismic waves (energy).
Thermal processing
Scoping study To give to iron-ore pellets high resistance metallurgic mechanics and appropriate characteristics, the pellets are subjected to thermal processing,
which involves stages of drying, daily pay burn, burn, after-burn and cooling (in a cooling tower). The duration of each stage and the temperature
The first level of engineering study that is performed on a mineral deposit to determine its economic viability. This is usually performed to
that the pellets are subjected to have a strong influence on the final product quality.
determine whether the expense of a full prefeasibility study and later a full feasibility study is warranted. Scoping studies may be completed
internally by the company or by independent engineers.
Thermal regeneration
Sinter The process of heating activated carbon granules typically to 750 ºC to restore the properties of carbon for the next gold extraction cycle.
Pieces or granules of fused iron-ore.
Thrusting event
Sintering A period of structural compression in geological time with the generation of low-angle thrust faults.
Manufacturing process in which sinter is produced from fine raw iron-ore, small coke, sand-sized limestone and numerous other steel plant
waste materials that contain some iron. These fine materials are proportioned to obtain a desired product chemistry and then mixed together. Total cash costs (total cash costs per ounce)
This raw material mix is then placed on a sintering strand, which is similar to a steel conveyor belt, where it is ignited by a gas fired-furnace and A measure of the average cost of producing an ounce of gold, calculated by dividing attributable total cash costs in a period by attributable
fused by the heat from the coke fines into larger-size pieces of 0.5" to 2". total gold production (in ounces) over the same period. Total cash costs include site costs for all mining, processing, administration, royalties
and production taxes, as well as contributions from by-products but are exclusive of depreciation, depletion and amortisation, rehabilitation,
Significant influence employment severance costs, corporate administration costs, capital costs and exploration costs.
Finance: The ability, directly or indirectly, to participate in, but not exercise control over, the financial and operating policy decision of an entity so
as to obtain economic benefit from its activities. Total production costs (total cash costs per ounce)
Sustainability: Although a mining entity may feel that its activities do not impact the environment in which a nearby community operates, the use A measure of the average cost of producing an ounce of gold, calculated by dividing attributable total production costs in a period by attributable
of underground water resources by the mine may deplete community water reserves. The mining company would therefore be deemed to have a total gold production (in ounces) over the same period. Total production costs represent total cash costs, plus depreciation, depletion and
significant influence on the community. amortisation, employee severance costs and rehabilitation and other noncash costs.

Skarn Ton
A rock of complex mineralogical composition, formed by contact metamorphism and metasomatism of carbonate rocks. Wikipedia defines several similar units of mass or volume called the ton:
50 51
• Units of mass/weight
There are several similar units of mass or volume called the ton:
Annexure Seven
Full Common Quantity South African Cabinet
Notes
name name Pounds Kilograms
Below is a list of Ministers and Deputy Ministers, as well as notes on the new names of certain Ministries and government departments.
Used in countries such as UK that use the imperial system, except Canada.
long ton “ton” (UK) 2 240 1 016 President – Cyril Ramaphosa
Conveniently, the mass is less than 2% different from the metric ton.
Deputy President – Paul Mashatile
short ton “ton” (US) 2 000 907.2 Used in the US and Canada.
“metric ton” (US, Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
tonne, metric The tonne is also known just as a ton in areas that use the metric measurement Minister – Thoko Didiza
UK), 2 204.6 1 000
ton system. Rural Development Deputy Minister – Rosemary Capa
else “ton”
Land Reform Deputy Minister – Mcebisi Skwatsha
ton shortweight 2 240 1 016 Used in the iron industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Basic Education
Used in the iron industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The Minister – Angie Motshekga
ton longweight 2 400 1 088.6
hundredweight was 120 lb.
Deputy Minister – Dr Reginah Mhaule
There is a difference between the metric ton in the US (which the British spell tonnes), which is equal to 1 000 kg, and the British ton, which is Communications and Digital Technologies
equal to 1 016.047 kg. Use either ton or tonne, depending on how your source uses it. This is only necessary when you are writing out ton/tonne. Minister – Mondli Gungubele
For any figures less than a million, use the t. For example: One-million tons/tonnes but 7 000 t. Deputy Minister – Philly Mapulane
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Tonnage Minister – Thembi Nkadimeng
Quantities where the ton or tonne is an appropriate unit of measure. Typically used to measure resources and reserves of ore-bearing material Local Government Deputy Minister – Parks Tau
in situ or quantities of ore and waste material mined, transported or milled. Traditional Affairs Deputy Minister – Zolile Burns-Ncamashe

Tramming width Note: The Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister is responsible for the Department of Cooperative Governance (DoCG) and
the Department of Traditional Affairs (DTA).
A dimension used to denote the effect of waste tons in the stoping operation, such as from gullies, on the reef tons produced. It is the sum of the
channel width plus the impact of waste tonnage in the stoping operations, for example from gullies and extraneous falls of ground, expressed Defence and Military Veterans
in centimetres. Minister – Thandi Modise
Deputy Minister – Thabang Makwetla
Tribute agreement
Note: The Defence and Military Veterans Minister is responsible for the Department of Defence (DoD) and the Department of Military Veterans
A legal agreement between two parties in which one party makes a portion of its mining rights available to the other party for exploitation in
(DMV).
consideration for a share in the revenue and costs derived from such mining rights.
Employment and Labour
Troy ounce (see ounce) Minister – Thulas Nxesi
(Used in imperial statistics) Equal to 31.10348 g. Deputy Minister – Boitumelo Moloi
Finance
Unrealised nonhedge derivatives and other commodity contracts Minister – Enoch Godongwana
This represents the change in fair value, including translation differences, of all open nonhedge derivative positions and adjustments to other Deputy Minister – Dr David Masondo
commodity contracts from the previous reporting date to the current reporting date.
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
Minister – Barbara Creecy
Vibroseis survey (3-D survey) Deputy Minister – Maggie Sotyu
Geophysical technique used to generate seismic waves of controlled frequencies. These waves reflect from rock interfaces and are analysed
to produce three-dimensional images of the subsurface geological structure with a resolution of around 25. This process facilitates accurate Health
long-term mine planning. Minister – Dr Joe Phaahla
Deputy Minister – Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo
Waste Higher Education, Science and Technology
Barren rock or mineralised material that is too low in grade to be economically processed. Minister – Dr Blade Nzimande
Deputy Minister – Buti Manamela
Weighted average number of ordinary shares
Note: The Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister is responsible for the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and
The number of ordinary shares in issue at the beginning of the year, increased by shares issued during the year, weighted on a time basis for
the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI).
the period during which they have participated in the income of the group, and increased by share options virtually certain to be exercised.
Home Affairs
Yield Minister – Dr Aaron Motsoaledi
The amount of valuable mineral or metal recovered from each unit mass of ore expressed as ounces a short ton or grams a metric ton. Deputy Minister – Njabulo Nzuza
Human Settlements
Zinc precipitation Minister – Mmamoloko Kubayi
Zinc is the element used to precipitate gold from solution. Deputy Minister – Pam Tshwete
International Relations and Cooperation
Minister – Dr Naledi Pandor
Deputy Minister – Alvin Botes
Deputy Minister – Candith Mashego-Dlamini
Justice and Correctional Services
Minister – Ronald Lamola
Justice Deputy Minister – John Jeffery
Correctional Services Deputy Minister ¬– Nkosi Pathekile Holomisa
Note: The Justice and Correctional Services Minister is responsible for the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD)
and the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).
Mineral Resources and Energy
Minister – Gwede Mantashe
Deputy Minister – Dr Nobuhle Nkabane
Police
Minister – Gen Bheki Cele
Deputy Minister – Cassel Mathale
52 53
Presidency
Minister – Khumbudzo Ntshavheni
Annexure Eight
Deputy Minister – Nomasonto Motaung
Deputy Minister – Kenneth Morolong The currencies guide
The correct spelling of currencies and use of their symbols has attracted considerable debate among members of the Creamer Media team. We
Presidency: Responsible for Electricity
are, therefore, guided by The Economist usage.
Minister – Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa
Presidency: Responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Country Currency Symbol
Minister – Maropene Ramokgopa
Afghanistan afghani Af
Deputy Minister – Pinky Kekana
Albania lek Lk
Presidency: Responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
Minister – Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma Algeria Algerian dinar AD
Deputy Minister – Sisisi Tolashe
Angola kwanza Kz
Public Enterprises Argentina peso Ps
Minister – Pravin Gordhan
Deputy Minister – Obed Bapela Armenia dram Dram

Public Service and Administration Aruba Aruban florin Afl

Minister – Noxolo Kiviet Australia Australian dollar A$
Deputy Minister – Dr Chana Pilane-Majaka
Austria euro €
Public Works and Infrastructure
Minister – Sihle Zikalala Azerbaijan manat Manat
Deputy Minister – Bernice Swarts Bahamas Bahamian dollar B$
Small Business Development Bahrain Bahraini dinar BD
Minister – Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams
Deputy Minister – Dipuo Peters Bangladesh taka Tk

Social Development Barbados Barbadian dollar Bd$

Minister – Lindiwe Zulu Belarus rubel BRb
Deputy Minister – Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu
Belgium euro €
Sports, Arts and Culture
Minister – Zizi Kodwa Belize Belize dollar Bz$
Deputy Minister – Nocawe Mafu Benin CFA franc CFAfr
Tourism Bermuda Bermuda dollar Bda$
Minister – Patricia de Lille
Deputy Minister – Fish Mahlalela Bhutan ngultrum Nu
Bolivia boliviano Bs
Trade, Industry and Competition
Minister – Ebrahim Patel Bosnia & Herzegovina convertible marka KM
Deputy Minister – Fikile Majola
Deputy Minister – Nomalungelo Gina Botswana pula P
Brazil real (pl. reais) R
Transport
Minister – Sindisiwe Chikunga Brunei Brunei dollar/ringgit Br$
Deputy Minister – Lisa Mangcu
Bulgaria lev Lv
Water and Sanitation
Burkina Faso CFA franc CFAfr
Minister – Senzo Mchunu
Deputy Minister – David Mahlobo Burundi Burundi franc Bufr
Deputy Minister – Judith Tshabalala
Cambodia riel CR
Cameroon CFA franc CFAfr
Abbreviating the names of government departments in headlines Canada Canadian dollar C$
In headlines, it is acceptable to abbreviate the names of the following government departments:
Cabo Verde Cabo Verde escudo CVEsc
Dirco – Department of International Relations and Cooperation
DoT – Department of Transport Central African Republic CFA franc CFAfr
DPE – Department of Public Enterprises Chad CFA franc CFAfr
dtic – Department of Trade, Industry and Competition
Chile Chilean peso Ps
For all other departments, rather use generic descriptions, for example: China yuan/renminbi Rmb
Department of Home Affairs – Home Affairs
Department of Small Business Development – small business department Colombia Colombian peso Ps
Comoros Comorian franc Cfr
Note that this is only for headlines. In the body copy of stories, use the full name of the department, followed by the abbreviation should you
use it again later on in the story. Congo (Brazzaville) CFA franc CFAfr
Congo (Dem. Rep. of) Congolese franc FCNZ
It is acceptable to use ‘Treasury’ in a headline when referring to National Treasury.
Costa Rica Costa Rican colón C
In the body copy, refer to the National Treasury and not just National Treasury.
Côte d’Ivoire CFA franc CFAfr
Croatia kuna HRK
Cuba Cuban peso Ps
Cyprus Cyprus pound/Turkish lira C£/TL
Czech Republic koruna Kc
Denmark Danish krone DKr

54 55
Country Currency Symbol Country Currency Symbol
Djibouti Djibouti franc Dfr Liberia Liberian dollar L$
Dominican Republic Dominican Republic peso Ps Libya Libyan dinar LD
Dubai UAE dirham Dh Lithuania litas LTL
East Timor US dollar US$ Luxembourg euro €
Ecuador US dollar US$ Macau pataca MPtc
Egypt Egyptian pound £E Macedonia denar Den
El Salvador El Salvador colón C Malagasy Malagasy franc Mgfr
Equatorial Guinea CFA franc CFAfr Malawi kwacha MK
Eritrea nafka Nfa Malaysia ringgit Malaysia RM
Estonia kroon EEK Mali CFA franc CFAfr
eSwatini lilangeni (pl. emalangeni) E Malta Maltese lira Lm
Ethiopia birr Birr Mauritania ouguiya UM
Fiji Fiji or Fijian dollar F$ Mauritius Mauritius rupee MRs
Finland euro € Mexico Mexican peso Ps
France euro € Moldova Moldavian leu (pl. lei) Lei
Gabon CFA franc CFAfr Mongolia togrog Tg
The Gambia dalasi D Montenegro euro €
Georgia lari Lari Morocco dirham Dh
Germany euro € Mozambique metical MT
Ghana cedi C Myanmar kyat Kt
Greece euro € Namibia Namibia dollar N$
Grenada East Caribbean dollar EC$ Nepal Nepalese rupee NRs
Guatemala quetzal Q Netherlands euro €
Guinea Guinean franc Gnf Netherlands Antilles Netherlands Antilles florin NAf
Guinea-Bissau CFA franc CFAfr New Caledonia French Pacific franc CFPfr
Guyana Guyanese dollar G$ New Zealand New Zealand dollar NZ$
Haiti gourde G Nicaragua córdoba C
Honduras lempira La Niger CFA franc CFAfr
Hong Kong Hong Kong dollar HK$ Nigeria naira N
Hungary forint Ft Norway Norwegian krone NKr
Iceland krona Ikr Oman Omani rial OR
India Indian rupee Rs Pakistan Pakistan or Pakistani rupee PRs
Indonesia rupiah Rp Palestinian Territories Jordanian dinar, New Israeli shekel JD, NIS
Iran rial IR Panama balboa B
Iraq New Iraqi dinar NID Papua New Guinea kina Kina
Ireland euro € Paraguay guarani G
Israel New Israeli shekel NIS Peru nuevo sol Ns
Italy euro € Philippines Philippine peso P
Jamaica Jamaican dollar J$ Poland zloty Z
Japan yen ¥ Portugal euro €
Jordan Jordanian dinar JD Puerto Rico US dollar US$
Kazakhstan tenge Tenge Qatar Qatari riyal QR
Kenya Kenya shilling KSh Romania leu (pl. lei) Lei
Kyrgyzstan som Som Russia rouble Rb
North Korea won or North Korean won Won Rwanda Rwandan franc Rwfr
South Korea won or South Korean won W Samoa tala or Samoan dollar Tala
Kuwait Kuwaiti dinar KD São Tomé & Príncipe dobra Db
Laos kip K Saudi Arabia Saudi riyal SR
Latvia lat LVL Senegal CFA franc CFAfr
Lebanon Lebanese pound L£ Serbia and Montenegro dinar YuD
Lesotho loti (pl. maloti) M Seychelles Seychelles rupee SRs

56 57
Country Currency Symbol Annexure Nine
Sierra Leone leone Le
Singapore Singapore dollar S$
Readers’ Symbols
Slovakia koruna Sk
Slovenia tolar SIT Symbol Definition Action
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands dollar SI$
Insert a word/letter
Somalia Somali shilling SoSh
South Africa rand R
Spain euro € Delete a word/letter
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka or Sri Lankan rupee SLRs
Sudan Sudanese dinar SD Cap Capital letter
Suriname Suriname guilder SG
Sweden Swedish krona SKr
LC Lower case
Switzerland Swiss franc Swfr
Syria Syrian pound S£
BF Bold font
Taiwan New Taiwan dollar NT$
Tajikistan somoni S
Tanzania Tanzanian shilling TSh itals Italics
Thailand baht Bt
Togo CFA franc CFAfr stet To ignore change ........
Tonga pa’anga or tonga/tongan dollar T$
Trinidad & Tobago TT dollar TT$
NP New paragraph
Tunisia Tunisian dinar TD
Türkiye Turkish lira TL
Close up
Turkmenistan manat Manat
Turks and Caicos Islands dollar $
Uganda New Ugandan shilling NUSh trs Transpose
Ukraine hryvnya HRN
United Arab Emirates UAE dirham Dh To insert inverted commas etc
United Kingdom pound/sterling £
United States dollar $
Insert a space
Uruguay Uruguayan new peso Ps
Uzbekistan som Som
Insert a full stop
Vanuatu vatu Vt
Venezuela bolívar Bs
Vietnam dong D Insert a comma
Western Samoa tala Tala
Windward & Leeward Islands East Caribbean dollar EC$ Delete and close up
Yemen Yemeni rial YR
Zambia kwacha ZK
Insert a hyphen and close up
Zimbabwe The Zimbabwe Gold ZiG

Insert a hyphen (green-, red- and blue-coded)

En dash Insert an en dash

Join two paragraphs

Out of alignment

58 59
Annexure Ten Annexure Eleven
Research Reports What’s On listings
Conducting industry and mining research When capturing events for the What’s On page of Engineering News Online, please use the following template and guidelines.
In the research and writing process, distinguish between those sections of the report that relate to topical information relevant to the sector and
Location: Always enter the city, followed by the country
information that is specific to a particular company.
Website: Ensure that ‘http://www’ is at the beginning of the address
Telephone: Country Code + Area Code + Number
This guide refers to the topical information as ‘chapter’ information – for example, the report may include ‘chapters’ on the nature of business,
labour, environmental considerations, logistics and outlook, among others. The previous report can serve as a guide on the ‘chapters’, but always
Example:
be alert to the possibility (and need) for change.
SANEA Energy Awards
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
The company information relates to the major and other relevant companies in the sector. The previous report can serve as a guide on the
Telephone: +27 11 622 3744 or +27 83 123 4567 or +1 601 234 4563
companies to include, but again, be aware that there are often new companies that are important, while certain others may no longer be relevant.
Email: saritac@mweb.co.za
Web: http://www.sanea.org.za
Initial searches
The best place to conduct initial searches on any sector is the Engineering News and Mining Weekly websites, as they give a good overview of Furthermore, the months of the year should be abbreviated as follows:
what is happening in any particular sector. January: Jan
February: Feb
Formulate a list of search terms. Generally, these will include the topic of the report, as well as the full list of companies covered in the previous March: Mar
report. April: Apr
May: May
Search these terms, and gather up the articles. This will take several hours. Rather than printing the articles, first cut and paste them into a single June: Jun
word document (as this enables easy reference at a later stage, if necessary). Typically, searches should go back to about a month before the July: Jul
previous report was written. The collection of articles in a word document will be several hundred pages long. August: Aug
September: Sep
Once all the searches have been done on the EN and MW sites, print the articles, and start skimming through them. October: Oct
November: Nov
Articles relating to the sector in general will be grouped into the relevant chapters. Many of the articles will relate to several of the chapters, so make December: Dec
a note on the article of all the chapters to which it relates. Several of the articles relating to specific companies will also be important for the chapters,
and must be grouped as such, and later re-used in the company sections. Note: The print version may vary.

Articles relating to company-specific information (not necessarily relevant to the chapter information) can be grouped separately, with each company
having a collection of relevant articles.

Additional searches
Go through a similar process with other news websites (such as Business Day, Business Report and MiningMX). Also, do general google searches
on the topic (and the specific chapters being covered), so pick up any new reports. Again, skim read the articles and divide the information into the
relevant chapters and companies.

Working on the chapters

At this point, you should have a fairly substantial collection of information, and it is time to start working on the chapters. Work on one chapter at a
time, and read all the research you have collected relating to that chapter. Once you have done with this reading, devise a coherent structure for the
chapter. While the previous report’s chapter may serve as a guide, always be alert to changes in the sector that may necessitate that the previous
year’s chapter be completely restructured. Where necessary, you may need to conduct further searches, to clarify or supplement the information
you are using.

Once finished with a particular chapter, move onto the next. Remember that some of the articles you have used should be included in your reading
for subsequent chapters.

Preparing a chapter can take several days, depending on the state of the sector.

Writing about companies

Once all the chapters have been worked through, work on the company pieces. As you move from company to company, remember to also make
use of company websites and annual reports, which are extremely valuable sources of information. Decide on the basic information that you intend
to provide for each company, and try to be consistent across companies, so that a reader could make some sort of comparison. If you come across
company information that is relevant to a chapter, go back to that chapter and incorporate additional examples.

Be concise in writing about the companies. Generally, use annual rather than quarterly figures, although quarterly happenings can sometimes be
indicative of what is happening at a company. In such cases, use the figures to illustrate a particular point, rather than simply providing the figures.

Writing about the companies is generally simpler than the work on the chapters, and each company should take a few hours.

Finishing up
After the chapters and companies are covered, move onto the finishing touches of the report – table of contents, abbreviations, latest
developments, contact information and references. This should take a few hours.

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