Smelters slow down as Glencore restructures

 

Platinum Weekly newspaper | Mining communities across the North West and Limpopo are bracing for difficult months ahead as Glencore–Merafe’s ferrochrome operations begin formal retrenchment processes at several smelters. Although Glencore has not issued a full public statement detailing the job cuts, industry reports confirm that retrenchments have begun at Wonderkop Smelter and Boshoek Smelter, with further restructuring underway across parts of the chrome, vanadium and carbon divisions.

Sector analysts say the restructuring is driven by rising operational costs, unreliable electricity supply, and declining global ferrochrome demand. As a result, Glencore’s ferrochrome production for 2025 has already fallen by more than half, according to quarterly performance reports.

Labour unions, including Solidarity, estimate that up to 2,400 direct jobs may be impacted if all affected units scale down, with as many as 17,000 indirect jobs at risk. These include contractors, transport providers, maintenance teams, and small businesses that depend heavily on mining activity.

Media and mining-industry outlets have been reporting on the retrenchments since September, when Glencore initiated a formal Section 189 process, signalling the start of possible layoffs.