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🇿🇦 Ruthenium Price Today in South Africa | R8,880
Live ruthenium price in South African Rand (ZAR) — updated every minute
Last updated: May 5, 2026, 12:57 AM ET
Price (ZAR)
R8,880
Price (USD)
$480
USD/Ruthenium Spot
$480.00
USD/ZAR Rate
1 USD = 18.5 ZAR
About Ruthenium
Ruthenium is a rare platinum group metal used in hard disk drive (HDD) thin film coatings, electrical contacts, thick film resistors, and increasingly in electrochemical catalysts. South Africa and Russia dominate global production. Annual mine output is approximately 35 tonnes, making it one of the rarer platinum group metals.
Ruthenium price in South Africa: what drives it?
Ruthenium's growing role in renewable energy electrochemistry (as a catalyst in chlor-alkali electrolysis and fuel cells) adds structural demand beyond its traditional electronics uses. Like other PGMs, it is accessed primarily through OTC markets and specialist dealers rather than mainstream investment products. The ruthenium price in South Africa is determined by the global USD spot price multiplied by the USD/ZAR exchange rate.
Frequently Asked Questions — Ruthenium in South Africa
What is the ruthenium price today in South Africa?
Ruthenium prices in South Africa are converted from the international OTC USD price to South African Rand. Ruthenium has no exchange-listed futures contract; spot prices are published by Johnson Matthey, Heraeus, and other specialist precious metals reporters.
What is ruthenium used for?
Ruthenium's largest application is in hard disk drives (HDD) — a thin ruthenium layer is used in magnetic recording layers. Other key uses include electrical contacts and resistors in electronics, as a catalyst in the chlor-alkali process (industrial chemistry), and increasingly in electrochemical applications including green hydrogen production.
Is ruthenium a precious metal?
Yes. Ruthenium belongs to the platinum group metals (PGMs) — a family of six elements (platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, osmium) that share similar physical properties. Like other PGMs, ruthenium is rare, chemically stable, and catalytically active.
How does the shift to solid-state storage affect ruthenium demand?
The transition from hard disk drives (HDD) to solid-state drives (SSD) in consumer electronics has reduced some ruthenium demand. However, HDDs remain dominant in data center storage due to cost advantages. New applications in catalysis and growing data center scale may offset declines from consumer electronics.
Where is ruthenium mined?
Ruthenium is produced almost exclusively as a byproduct of platinum mining. South Africa's Bushveld Igneous Complex produces approximately 80–85% of global ruthenium supply. Russia (via Norilsk Nickel) and Zimbabwe account for most of the remainder.