Our products
Bengwenyama provides exposure to a diversified basket of metals used across automotive emissions control, industrial processing, clean energy, electronics, medical technology, jewellery and stainless steel. This breadth of end uses is central to the project’s long-term strategic relevance.
The product summaries below explain the application and end-product use of each metal, demonstrating the why Southern Palladium’s balanced PGM-chrome basket is an important differentiator.
Platinum
Diversified demand across mobility, industry, hydrogen, medicine and jewellery.
Platinum combines rarity with exceptional catalytic performance, durability and corrosion resistance. These qualities support demand across automotive, industrial, jewellery, medical and investment markets, making it one of the most versatile metals in the PGM family. Its largest established use remains vehicle emissions control, where it plays a critical role in reducing harmful emissions and continues to benefit from the growth of hybrid technologies.
Platinum is also an enabling metal in hydrogen fuel cells and selected electrolysis technologies. Additional applications in chemical processing, refining, glass manufacturing and healthcare create a broad and resilient demand base, giving Bengwenyama exposure to both established industries and emerging energy markets.
Palladium
Catalytic efficiency with established automotive and specialised industrial uses.
Palladium is a highly effective catalyst and is best known for its role in automotive emissions control, particularly in petrol vehicle catalytic converters. Its ability to reduce harmful emissions has made it a critical component of the global automotive industry for decades.
Beyond vehicle applications, palladium is used in chemical processing, electronics, sensors and hydrogen purification technologies. This broad industrial footprint complements platinum and rhodium production, providing additional exposure to specialised and high-value markets.
Rhodium
A rare, high-performance catalyst for demanding emissions and industrial applications.
Rhodium is one of the rarest platinum group metals and is valued for its exceptional catalytic efficiency and resistance to heat and corrosion. Although produced in relatively small quantities, it is a strategically important contributor to the overall value of a PGM basket.
Its primary use is in automotive catalysts, where it remains highly effective in reducing nitrogen oxide emissions and is difficult to substitute. Additional applications in specialist industrial processes, glass manufacturing and high-performance coatings reinforce its importance across multiple sectors.
Chrome
A strategic co-product serving stainless steel, infrastructure and advanced alloys.
Chrome is the second major product stream within Bengwenyama’s mining proposition. As the key ingredient in stainless steel, chromium provides the corrosion resistance, strength and durability required for a wide range of industrial and consumer applications.
Demand is largely driven by stainless steel production, which supports construction, transport, manufacturing and energy infrastructure globally. Chrome therefore adds a strong industrial dimension to Bengwenyama’s revenue profile and complements its exposure to platinum group metals.
Iridium
Extreme durability with specialised industrial and hydrogen applications.
Iridium is one of the most corrosion-resistant metals known and is highly valued for its ability to perform under extreme temperatures and operating conditions. Its unique properties make it an important material for specialised industrial equipment and high-performance alloys.
Its durability and resistance to heat and corrosion also support applications including spark plugs, electrical contacts, laboratory equipment, and components used in spacecraft and satellites.
The metal also plays a role in proton exchange membrane electrolysers used in hydrogen production, linking it to the development of future clean-energy infrastructure. As a valuable by-product, iridium provides additional exposure to advanced industrial and energy technologies.
Ruthenium
A specialist metal supporting electronics, coatings and chemical processes.
Ruthenium is used to improve hardness, wear resistance and performance in a variety of alloys, coatings and catalysts. While consumed in relatively small volumes, it remains an important component of several specialised industrial processes.
Key applications include electronics, electrical contacts, high-density data-storage technologies and chemical processing. Demand has grown strongly, driven in part by its use in data storage and the rapid growth in AI-related data requirements. Its role in supporting both digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing adds further diversity to Bengwenyama’s PGM basket.
Future-facing metals
A diversified metals basket aligned with evolving industrial and clean-energy demand
Bengwenyama offers exposure to a balanced basket of platinum group metals and chrome, supplying industries that span automotive, manufacturing, infrastructure, technology and clean energy. This diversification reduces reliance on any single commodity or end market.
The project combines exposure to established demand drivers with metals that are expected to play increasingly important roles in energy transition technologies. This positions Bengwenyama to benefit from both current industrial activity and long-term structural growth trends.
Our products at a glance
| Metal | Key properties | Main uses |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum | Durable, resistant to heat and corrosion, biocompatible | • Automotive catalysts (reducing emissions) • Fuel cells for hydrogen energy • Jewellery • Medical devices |
| Palladium | Highly efficient in absorbing hydrogen, versatile in alloys | • Catalytic converters (petrol engines) • Electronics (sensors, connectors) • Hydrogen purification and storage • Jewellery (white gold alloys) |
| Rhodium | Rare, reflective, highly effective in reducing NOx emissions | • Catalytic converters (NOx reduction) • Industrial uses (glass, chemicals) • Jewellery plating/finishing |
Why PGMs?
Globally, PGMs – particularly platinum, palladium and rhodium – are well-positioned with strong long-term demand trends as key metals for the industries of the future. Recognised as strategic by major economies including Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, the EU, the UK, the USA and South Africa, PGMs are essential to global progress.
These rare noble metals have unique properties that make them ideally suited to a range of key automotive, artificial intelligence (storage devices), industrial, medical, jewellery, and investment applications.
PGMs have not only contributed to a significant cleaning of the emissions created by vehicles with internal combustion engines, but are also key in hybrids and the hydrogen economy space. With declining mine supply and growing demand creating structural deficits, the long-term outlook for PGMs is stronger than at any point since the global financial crisis in 2008.
In addition, South Africa’s mining industry – the ‘global home of PGMs’ – remains a focal point for international investors seeking exposure to this vital sector.
