Mining in South Africa has been and always will be a top government priority, according to Mosebenzi Zwane, minister of mineral resources.
He said with an estimated $2.5 to 3 trillion in non-energy mineral reserves stil in-situ mining would be a priority for another 150 years.
Zwane says South Africa is ready and open for business when it comes to mining.
“We want to move mining forward in South Africa,” he said. “The winter is over and a new spring has arrived.”
He said a new balance was emerging in the demand and supply for mineral resources. “There was a remarkable recovery of prices during the latter part of 2016 - more particularly with commodities such as coal, iron, ferromanganese and zinc.”
In this regard he said the government was committed to making it easier to do business in the Republic. “We have moved to improve regulatory efficiency through the integration of the applications for mining and related rights, water use and environmental permits.”
Zwane said a one-stop-shop, overseen by the inter-ministerial committee on investment, had also been established and had the goal of improving regulatory efficiency by providing multiple services from a single point - including advice and addressing blockages being experienced by anyone conducting business in South Africa.
According to Zwane government not only plans to improve the policy and regulatory environment but is also prioritising beneficiation.
“We are inviting investors and mining companies to look at this as an opportunity for partnership and a mechanism for ensuring stable and growing demand for mineral resources.”
He said a programme for special economic zones with an array of tax and investment incentives as well as bulk infrastructure to support the growth of mineral beneficiation was being developed.
The Musina Metallurgical Complex in Limpopo was an example of this programme, he said. More such complexes would be established in the coming years.
