Through its rare earths Steenkampskraal project, in the Western Cape, rare earths miner Steenkampskraal Monazite Mine (SMM) aims to progressively increase local beneficiation, skills development and technology transfer, leveraging rare earths demand while developing long-term capabilities, says SMM CEO Graham Soden.

Internationally recognised as one of the world’s highest-grade rare earth and thorium deposits, he says Steenkampskraal contains materials critical for renewable-energy technologies, advanced manufacturing, electric mobility and broader technological innovation.

At full production, SMM aims to produce about 40 000 t/y of material, yielding between 8 000 t/y and 10 000 t/y of total rare earth oxides (TREO) in a concentrate exceeding 50%, enthuses Soden.

The Steenkampskraal project is structured in a series of integrated phases, each aimed at unlocking greater value by moving further downstream in the rare earths supply chain, he explains.

The first tranche of funding required for construction of the project’s metallurgical phase was released by State-owned development finance institution the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), in September.

The total IDC funding package amounts to R184-million, comprising an initial tranche of R84-million followed by a second tranche of R37-million.

Following release of the IDC funding, SMM’s Phase 1 is planned for August 2026, highlights Soden.

Currently, SMM is working closely with radionuclides emerging supplier Thor Medical and select local funders to finalise offtake agreements to support the progression of the additional planned phases.

Ore Processing
To achieve greater than 50% TREO concentrate and advance to later processing stages, SMM’s phased beneficiation process will deploy a combination of metallurgical and hydrometallurgical technologies tailored to the monazite-rich ore found at the project site.

Run-of-mine material will be crushed and milled before being fed into a multi-gravity separation system, which separates gangue from monazite and generates a high-grade concentrate.

“This technique is highly effective for fine particle separation and enables efficient recovery of monazite while rejecting low-density gangue material,” says Soden.

The resulting concentrated monazite will then be processed through a hydro-metallurgical circuit designed to crack and dissolve the monazite minerals, enabling the controlled leaching and recovery of rare earths while removing impurities, and separating thorium and Radium 228.

As part of the Phase 3 project development, SMM will implement magneto-electrochemical separation technology – an advanced, high-efficiency process expected to enhance selectivity in separating individual rare earth elements.

“This proprietary breakthrough technology is expected to improve overall recovery rates and product purity while reducing reagent consumption,” he explains.

Phased Benefits
In alignment with South Africa’s critical minerals and beneficiation strategies, SMM’s phased development ensures that South Africa captures an increasing share of the rare earths value chain while building long-term industrial and technological capability, states Soden.

Phase 1 entails concentrate production and initial beneficiation, involving local engineering partners and providing training for local operators, and focuses on mining, crushing, milling and physical beneficiation.

Phase 2 entails hydrometallurgical processing and refinement, introducing advanced hydrometallurgical processing to convert monazite concentrate into cerium- and lanthanum-depleted mixed rare earth carbonate – a product Soden says is in strong demand from global technology and defence industries.

Separated oxide intermediates will also be made available during this phase, which represents a major step in local beneficiation, shifting from concentrate exports to onshore value addition and refining, says Soden.

Phase 2 will also facilitate specialised skills employment opportunities and enhanced technology transfer through partnerships with research institutions, the IDC and international process-technology collaborators.

Meanwhile, Phase 3 advances to full rare earth elements separation on, or near, the mine site through magneto-electrochemical separation and advanced materials, capturing significantly higher margins of individual rare earths, including neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium.

Regional Collaboration
Recognising the importance of regional collaboration in strengthening Africa’s role in the global critical minerals value chain, SMM chairperson Dr Enock Mathebula says the company supports partnerships with other African countries developing rare earths and critical minerals projects.



The company is also committed to knowledge exchange and skills development with African mining and metallurgical institutions, supporting training, research and capacity building.

Collaboration on transport, energy and export infrastructure offers further opportunities to enhance logistics efficiency, particularly for landlocked countries seeking access to established beneficiation and export routes through South Africa, he adds.

“[We envision] a collaborative African critical minerals ecosystem, leveraging collective strengths, shared infrastructure and aligned policies to enhance regional supply security, ensuring that the benefits of Africa’s rare earths resources are retained and multiplied within the continent,” concludes Mathebula.