Off the wire
• Urgent: France's Fillon recognizes moral "error", apologizes to French people  • 1st LD-Writethru: Chinese scientists start 38th ocean expedition trip  • Regional conference in Namibia to discuss job creation in Africa  • Laos to play Cambodia in AFC qualifying round  • 1st LD-Writethru-China Focus: China to improve permanent residence permit system for foreigners  • U.S. stocks open lower amid legal fight uncertainty  • Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Feb. 6  • Nato's diminished role would mean "disaster": Portugal minister  • Baby born from 16-year-old frozen embryo in South China  • Russia regrets further U.S. sanctions on Iran following missile test  
You are here: 　 Home

S. Africa to focus on junior mining: minister

Xinhua, February 6, 2017 Adjust font size:

South Africa will place a special focus on junior mining sector and continue to support it, Minister of Mineral Resources Mosebenzi Zwane said Monday.

"We further believe that most job opportunities lie with small to medium companies, hence in 2017 we will be focusing on the Promotion of Investment, with a special focus on junior miners," Zwane said in his opening address at the 2017 annual Investing in African Mining Indaba (conference), taking place in Cape Town.

The two-day Indaba brings together hundreds of government officials, CEOs of mining companies and experts from around the world to explore investment opportunities in Africa.

"In our efforts to support investment in mining and beneficiation, we have a particular focus on the growth and promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises," Zwane said.

The government is of the firm view that a new era of junior to mid-tier sized mines is upon the country, he said.

Zwane also said beneficiation remains a priority in South Africa, and the government is inviting investors and mining companies to look to this as an opportunity for partnership and a mechanism for ensuring stable and growing demand for mineral resources.

"In this regard, we have developed 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 beneficiators," he said.

South Africa also has world-class institutions that stand ready to partner with business in the development and adoption of competitive technologies and processing for beneficiation, according to Zwane.

Zwane urged the mining industry to collectively shoulder the responsibility to ensure safety of the labor force.

He mentioned an accident early last year at the Lily Mine in Mpumalanga Province, where the bodies of three miners were still not retrieved.

The minister stressed the importance of achieving the goal of zero harm.

Since the Lily Mine tragedy, the mining companies have achieved the laudable milestone of operating for more than 12 months without any fatality, according to Zwane.

Mining continues to be a pillar of economic growth in South Africa, contributing about 8 percent directly to the country's GDP. With an estimated 2.5 to 3 trillion U.S. dollars in non-energy mineral reserves still in-situ, the country is looking forward to another 150 years of mining. Endit