 Mining companies now pay royalties to the nation in exchange for the right to mine these metals.Also, a court settlement in 1999 with Impala Platinum Mining (Implats), the second-largest platinum company in South Africa, gave the RBN a 22 percent royalty on all platinum taken from their territory and an ownership stake in Implats.The value of the Bafokeng's stake in Impala had tripled to more than $50 million by 2001.