South Africa: Mantashe to Visit Rare Earth-Rich Steenkampskraal Monazite Mine

What the report says

South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, is due to visit the Steenkampskraal Monazite Mine in the Western Cape’s Matzikama Local Municipality on Friday, according to SAnews.gov.za as republished by AllAfrica. The visit is part of government’s push to develop mineral resources while increasing local beneficiation and manufacturing.

The department said Steenkampskraal is one of the world’s highest-grade rare earth deposits and is seen as strategically important for South Africa’s rare earth and critical minerals sector. Officials want to assess progress at the project and discuss how more processing and value-adding could happen closer to the mine rather than overseas.

Mantashe said ahead of the visit that South Africa should build stronger beneficiation and manufacturing capacity so its mineral wealth supports industrialisation, jobs and broader economic development. The department also framed the project as part of efforts to strengthen domestic industrial capacity and help the country take part in global mineral value chains.

The report added that any development of the resource must still meet regulatory and environmental requirements, including the safe handling of naturally occurring radioactive materials. More broadly, the case reflects growing government attention to critical minerals as inputs for industrial policy and the energy transition.