SA’s mining sector has remained a stable, important contributor to the economy in terms of employment, exports and productivity. But a storm is brewing due to the low level of exploration and ageing assets, and it may undermine SA’s status as a mining power for decades.

In 2019 mineral resources & energy minister Gwede Mantashe announced the goal of SA achieving 5% of the global mining exploration budget within the next three to five years. It’s a sensible target; SA is one of the world’s wealthiest non-petroleum mining jurisdictions with more than $2.5-trillion in minerals. It also has more than 70% of the world’s manganese and platinum, two highly sought-after critical minerals...

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