Following three years of uncertainty over the future of the mine, PE Minerals signed a partnership deal with the mine owners, Iscor, at the end of 1998.
This city serves surrounding maize, livestock and dairy farmers as well as workers connected to Karbochem, Mittal Steel South Africa (previously ISPAT/ISCOR), the textile and service industry.
Manufacturing in the district is dominated by the fabricated metal and the chemical sectors (Mittal Steel Company (previously ISCOR) and Sasol.
The exception was the third type SW1002 locomotive to be built for Iscor in Pretoria, which was delivered from GM-Astarsa in Argentina.
Named after Hendrik van der Bijl, an electrical engineer and industrialist, Vanderbijlpark is home to Vanderbijlpark Steel (previously part of ISCOR (South African Iron and Steel Corporation), now part of the global company ArcelorMittal).