President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa must process more of its own minerals instead of sending them overseas in raw form. He spoke on Friday at the opening of the Vedanta Gamsberg Phase II Concentrator Plant in Aggeneys, Northern Cape.
According to SAnews, the expansion will double the mine’s yearly ore capacity from about four million tonnes to eight million tonnes. Its yearly zinc-in-concentrate output will rise to about 500 000 tonnes.
“Why should the mineral wealth beneath our soil create more industrial opportunities elsewhere than it creates here at home?” the President asked.
He said South Africa and other African countries had for too long dug up minerals that were processed in other countries. They then bought back finished goods made from those same resources.
“In the process, other countries have captured much of the value, the technology, the industrial capability and the employment opportunities associated with our natural resources,” Ramaphosa said.
He said the country must grow its refining, smelting and manufacturing capacity. He also called for support for local suppliers, engineers, artisans and technology companies.
Ramaphosa said zinc is used to galvanise steel. He said it is also used in construction, transport infrastructure, car manufacturing and new energy technologies.
The President said the Northern Cape could become one of the country’s next big centres of industrial growth. He pointed to its minerals, renewable energy potential, available land and its position for reaching export markets.
He named the Namakwa Special Economic Zone as central to this plan, with Vedanta as an anchor investor. He said the zone must be linked with the proposed Boegoebaai Port, projects in Upington and the wider Northern Cape Industrial Corridor.
Ramaphosa welcomed Vedanta’s plan to build zinc smelting capacity in the province. He said this would let South Africa move from producing zinc concentrate to producing refined zinc metal.
He said more processing would need electricity at a workable price, reliable infrastructure and supportive rules. “Our objective must be to create the conditions in which further beneficiation investments become viable and competitive,” he said.
“We want the zinc that is mined here to become the foundation of industries that manufacture here, employ here and create prosperity here,” the President said.
According to SAnews, more than 1 500 people worked on building the Gamsberg Phase II expansion. Between 800 and 1 000 jobs are expected to remain once the plant is running.
Ramaphosa called for local communities to get more skilled jobs at the mine. He also said local businesses should become suppliers of equipment, parts and specialised services.
He said mining must not harm the Northern Cape’s unique plants, animals and natural areas. He praised Vedanta’s community projects, which include bursaries, skills training, water security and the JF Boeboe Van Wyk Oncology Centre in Springbok.
Vedanta is a large Indian mining group. Ramaphosa said more than 150 Indian companies now operate in South Africa.
He said the government remained committed to building the infrastructure and economic conditions needed to attract investment. “We must become a country that uses those minerals to manufacture the products that the world needs,” he said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by SAnews.gov.za. Image: GCIS via SAnews.gov.za. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.