South Africa's mines minister Gwede Mantashe has threatened to withhold minerals to the United States following recent threats by the United states to hold back funding in response to certain African political actions.
Mantashe, who delivered the opening address at the Investing In African Mining 2025 In Cape Town, South Africa, said Africa should not be dictated to by industrialised nations.
“They want to withhold funding, but they still want our minerals,” he said.
“Let’s withhold minerals. Africa needs to assert its advantage and take charge of the growing demand.”
Meanwhile, Mantashe said that the mining sector was entering a time of enormous opportunity, as demand soared for a range of new commodities – the so-called “critical minerals” expected to drive new-energy industries as well as technology.
“Gold mining might be in decline in some territories,” he said.
“But the obituaries that have been written for mining at large are premature. Nickel, vanadium, copper, manganese, platinum and many rare-earth elements are all found on this continent. Those are the minerals of the future.”
Africa is home to 30% of the world’s mineral reserves, with South Africa being the world’s largest producer of platinum-group metals.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief, from Cape Town, South Africa, Rough&Polished
