Mining research organisation Mintek and the National Research Foundation (NRF) have formed a partnership to foster innovation, scientific excellence and sustainable progress in South Africa’s mining industry.

The partnership will serve as a platform to strengthen South Africa's research capabilities, accelerate innovation across the minerals value chain and elevate South Africa’s global competitiveness in science and technology, said Mintek chairperson Thibedi Ramontja.

“Mintek has globally recognised expertise in minerals and metallurgy and, combined with the NRF’s research funding and human capital development, creates a formidable alliance,” he said.

The partnership is part of the NRF's and Mintek’s contributions to national efforts to sustain the mining sector.

“The collaboration between the NRF and Mintek will enable both institutions to accelerate scientific and technological advancements to address pressing industry and policy challenges.

“It will also enable both institutions to translate research into practical, scalable solutions that enhance operational efficiency and sustainability in mining,” said NRF CEO Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo.

The partnership is a response to one of South Africa’s most pressing national concerns, namely the erosion of technical and research capacity in mining and mineral processing, said Mintek CEO Dr Molefi Motuku.

“There are insufficient structured programmes that feed the talent pipeline into the mining sector across the entire value chain, including exploration, beneficiation, environmental stewardship and modern operational planning.

“Mining remains a pillar of our economy, but the skills needed to sustain and transform the sector are thinning out,” he said.

Specifically, the collaboration will focus on supporting South Africa’s mineral research and skills development priorities, particularly in emerging areas such as automation, remote operations, AI in mineral processing and big data.

These are not just scarce skills; they are essential for the future competitiveness of the country's industries, he noted.

“This partnership between Mintek and the NRF is rooted in the belief that the institutions can achieve more together than apart. We’re combining our strengths in applied research, infrastructure and human capital development to respond to national imperatives with agility and depth,” he said.

Meanwhile, South Africa has increased its strategic focus on critical minerals and metals, which are central to the global green economy and technology transformations. The recently adopted Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy identifies platinum, manganese, iron-ore, coal and chrome ore as strategic minerals.

“These minerals power essential technologies such as electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells, wind turbines, microelectronics, and advanced manufacturing.

“To truly leverage this opportunity, we must go beyond extraction. We need to understand, process, and add value to these resources and integrate them into industrial ecosystems that are globally competitive,“ said Motuku.