Beneficiation is not the responsibility of mining companies, says Manganese Metal Company (MMC) executive chairperson Bernard Swanepoel.

“Speaking as the last standing manganese beneficiation business in the country, what we do wrong in our country is that we expect mining companies to go where they don’t belong.

“Our business . . . is an industrial-scale pharmaceutical plant. Don’t bring miners there. It is completely different to mining.”

Speaking at the Investing in African Mining Indaba 2025 held in Cape Town last week, Swanepoel noted that MMC produced 2% to 3% of the world’s pure electrolytic manganese, and China 97%.

“China does not mine manganese. China beneficiates manganese. We come to beneficiation from the wrong angle.

“We are trying to force miners into a business where they have been, and left.

“Our country needs beneficiation, but it cannot come from bullying our miners into that space. We’ll misallocate capital; we’ll make mistakes. We’ll shut it down the first time the commodity cycle goes through a slump.”

IDC Must Step Up
When asked what government could do to intervene, Swanepoel said it was time for the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to do what it was created to do.

“It must fund the industrialisation of South Africa and stop messing about with everything else.

“My business was funded by the IDC 50 years ago. Now we have been talking to them for three years about a little expansion project – we’ve given up on them.

“The State’s capacity must be directed towards the State’s objectives – unashamedly.”

Swanepoel added that skills were not a problem in South Africa.

“Outside China, South Africa happens to have the experts in manganese beneficiation. Most of them are part of the company I chair.

“We actually just need to start to do things. We must get off our backsides and actually start to do things in this country.”

Junior Miners Challenge
Minerals Council South Africa CEO Mzila Mthenjane added his voice in calling government to action.

“[To paraphrase] . . . we must not ask what the mining industry can do for you, but what you can do for the growth of the mining industry.

“Some of the basics . . . it’s about speed. How quickly can juniors embark on exploration.
“We spend a lot of time navigating the legislative environment, which is hugely frustrating.”

Mthenjane said everyone could “speak ad nauseam” about ‘communities’ and ‘women’ and ‘youth’. However, all these parties were frustrated with the current situation.

“My message is: let’s focus on the basics.

“When somebody applies for prospecting rights, it must happen quickly. All departments must work together towards issuing that prospecting right quickly, and make sure that that prospecting takes place without interruption and unnecessary disruption, in order to prove up an orebody that can be mined. And that’s where the benefits will come through.”