As SA’s gold-mining era comes to an end, research plays a key role in unlocking the country’s mineral reserves and supporting the shift towards a diversified mining industry, says minerals & petroleum resources minister Gwede Mantashe.
Speaking at the 90th anniversary of Mintek, SA’s national mineral research group, Mantashe, highlighted the organisation’s continued focus on conducting research to benefit not only the mining industry, but also the broader economy.
“(This research is) beginning to shape our understanding of the current state of the SA mining industry and empower us to outline the future trajectory of investments in the industry,” Mantashe said.
“Thanks to the work that is being pioneered by the entity, in collaboration with the industry and various research institutions, we can now confidently describe the SA mining industry as a sunrise industry that is diversifying from the gold-mining era to a diversified industry with the world’s largest reserves of platinum group metals (PGM), manganese, chrome, coal, vanadium and rare earth minerals.”
The minister said the success of SA’s mining sector hinged on collaboration between government, the private sector and academia.
“By working together, we can leverage diverse expertise and resources, thus ensuring that our collective efforts are aligned with the industry’s pressing needs.”
Such synergy also promoted sustainable practices that benefited the economy and the environment, he said. While gold mining in SA was on the decline — due to the country’s deep-level mines and heightened security concerns — Mintek had contributed significantly to the viability of mining of the PGM deposits, he said.
This substantial contribution had allowed SA to become a leading supplier in global commodity markets. Last year, SA supplied over 70% of the world’s platinum, 38% of all palladium and 81% of all rhodium.
As the global transition to low carbon emissions drives up the demand for SA’s critical minerals, Mantashe said Mintek’s role in informing the country’s much-needed critical minerals strategy was key.
“While there is no universal consensus on critical minerals, the approach by Mintek in developing SA’s critical minerals strategy is poised to guide not only SA’s, but Africa’s responsible exploration, processing and exporting of these essential resources.
“Having discussed the study on the state of the mining industry in cabinet, we are now taking the draft critical minerals strategy through cabinet processes for its consideration and contributions.”
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