Why Sell Your Platinum with GoldTrust?
Platinum bullion is one of the most straightforward assets to sell, and one of the most frequently undervalued when sellers end up in the wrong room. We know what platinum is worth. We pay that, in front of you, before we leave.
GoldTrust is a licensed second-hand goods dealer, registered high-value goods dealer, accountable institution, and Jewellery Council of South Africa member.
Our process is appointment-only. Private offices, no queues, no walk-in chaos. You book a time, you arrive, we test and weigh your platinum with you watching every step. We explain the offer. You decide. If you accept, instant EFT hits your account during the appointment. Not at end of day. Not next day. During.
If the offer does not work for you, we shake hands and you leave with your platinum. No fee, no obligation, no awkward exit. Platinum sitting in your safe is doing nothing. If the time is right to convert it into something that matters, such as a car deposit, a renovation, or simply breathing room, we make that as easy as it should be. Find out how it works step by step.
Platinum Items We Buy
GoldTrust buys the following platinum items at competitive rates, tested and weighed in front of you:
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Platinum Coins. Krugerrand platinum coins, Canadian Maple Leafs, American Eagles, and other recognised platinum bullion coins. Both proof and bullion strikes accepted.
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Platinum Bars and Ingots. All sizes from 1 gram to 1 kilogram and beyond. Branded bars from recognised refineries (PAMP, Valcambi, Heraeus, and others) as well as unbranded bars, which we test and verify in front of you.
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Platinum Bullion. Any form of verified platinum bullion, tested and weighed in front of you and assessed honestly by a specialist buyer.
Not sure if what you have qualifies? A note on platinum-coloured items: white gold, palladium, and silver are sometimes mistaken for platinum. We test everything in front of you and tell you exactly what you have, including items that turn out not to be platinum. You will never be sold a story. If it is not worth selling, we say so. If it is, we make you a fair offer.
If you also hold gold coins or bars, we buy those too and can assess everything in a single appointment.
What Makes Your Platinum Valuable
Whether it is a coin you bought as an investment years ago or a bar you inherited and have not thought about since, your platinum has real, traceable value. Here is why you can trust the number we give you.
Every item is tested and weighed in front of you. You watch every step. We show you the weight as it reads on the scale, we show you the purity test, we explain what each result means in plain language. Nothing happens behind closed doors. Nothing is taken into another room. If you want to see it again, we do it again.
Purity and weight are the two factors that matter most, and both are intuitive: more platinum means more value. We verify both while you watch. You see the numbers. You see the test. You get to ask questions until you are satisfied.
The price we quote is the price you receive. No hidden deductions, no melting fees, no administrative costs subtracted at the end. Every valuation depends on the specific item, its fineness, and its weight, so we cannot give an accurate figure without seeing it. Contact us via the form, WhatsApp, or phone and we will arrange a free, no-obligation appointment.
What Affects Platinum Prices in South Africa?
Platinum is priced globally in US dollars per troy ounce, and its price behaves very differently to gold. Where gold is driven by investment and central bank demand, platinum is dominated by industrial demand, particularly from the automotive industry. It is also the one precious metal where South African mining conditions genuinely move the world market.
- The international platinum spot price. Quoted in US dollars per troy ounce, this is the benchmark used by refineries, automakers, and investors worldwide. It moves continuously through the trading day in response to supply and demand across the global market.
- The USD/ZAR exchange rate. Because platinum is priced internationally in US dollars, the rand value of any given amount of platinum moves with the currency as well as with the underlying dollar price. A weaker rand lifts the rand figure; a stronger rand pulls it down.
- Automotive catalytic converter demand. Roughly 40% of annual platinum demand comes from the automotive industry, where platinum is used in catalytic converters to clean petrol and diesel exhaust emissions. Tighter global emissions standards push demand up, while the long-run shift away from diesel and the rise of electric vehicles (which do not use catalytic converters) are headwinds the market watches closely.
- South African mining supply. South Africa produces around 70% of the world’s mined platinum, drawn from the Bushveld Complex across Limpopo, North West, and Mpumalanga. Strikes, load shedding, shaft closures, and the long-run economics of deep-shaft mining all feed through to global supply and therefore to the global price. No other precious metal is this sensitive to local SA conditions.
- The hydrogen economy. Platinum is a key catalyst in both hydrogen fuel cells and green hydrogen electrolysers. Hydrogen is not a major source of platinum demand today, but as infrastructure scales through the 2020s and 2030s, it is widely expected to become one, and the market is already pricing that in.
- Investment and jewellery demand. Platinum jewellery demand, particularly in China and Japan, and flows into platinum-backed ETFs are smaller than automotive demand but still material. Platinum bullion coins, including the Platinum Krugerrand, remain a modest but growing segment.
We don’t advise when to sell. That’s your decision. What we can tell you is that when you are ready, every item is tested and weighed in front of you, every offer is explained before you decide, and the price quoted is the price that hits your account via instant EFT.
Understanding Platinum Purity
Platinum purity is measured using a fineness system, which counts parts of platinum per thousand. A fineness stamp of 950 means 950 parts platinum per 1,000, or 95% pure. This is the most common purity standard for platinum bullion and items sold in South Africa.
Unlike gold, which uses the karat system (24 karat being pure gold), platinum uses numerical fineness stamps. Here is a quick reference:
| Fineness Mark | Platinum Content | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| 999 | 99.9% pure | Investment bars, some coins |
| 950 | 95.0% pure | Most platinum bullion coins, standard jewellery |
| 900 | 90.0% pure | Older bullion and some imported items |
| 850 | 85.0% pure | Less common, found in some vintage pieces |
How to Find the Fineness Stamp on Your Platinum
Most platinum bullion items carry a fineness stamp:
- Bars: The fineness is typically engraved or stamped on the face of the bar, alongside the weight and the refinery mark.
- Coins: Platinum coins from recognised mints state their purity and weight on the coin itself. A Platinum Krugerrand, for example, is marked with its weight and its 999.5 fineness.
- Unlabelled items: If there is no visible stamp, we test the item in front of you. Platinum testing is a different process to gold testing and requires specific equipment that not all buyers have. We have it.
South Africa’s Unique Position in the Platinum Market
South Africa is not just a place to sell platinum. It is where most of the world’s platinum comes from. The Bushveld Igneous Complex, spanning parts of Limpopo, North West, and Mpumalanga, contains the world’s largest known platinum reserves. South African mines account for more than 70% of global platinum supply.
This matters for sellers because it means SA buyers are well-versed in platinum. The local market for platinum bullion is active and liquid. When you bring coins or bars to GoldTrust, you are dealing with a buyer who works in a market that understands this metal in a way that most of the world does not.
If you also hold gold bullion or coins, our gold selling guide covers everything you need to know about selling gold in South Africa. GoldTrust has private appointment offices across Gauteng, including Sandton, Pretoria, Centurion, Boksburg, Cresta, and Bedfordview. We also serve Umhlanga, Cape Town, and George .
Frequently Asked Questions
