South Africa Critical Minerals
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South Africa produced an estimated 120,000 kg of platinum in 2025, 71% of the world, and ranks second in palladium (36%), first in chromium (45%) and first in manganese (38%), according to USGS. USGS lists 63 million kilograms of platinum group metal reserves in South Africa out of more than 76 million kilograms worldwide. The country's Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy, approved by Cabinet, names 21 critical minerals and metals and puts beneficiation at its centre.
71%
of world platinum mine production came from South Africa in 2025, the largest share of any country
45%
of world chromium mine production came from South Africa in 2025, and 38% of manganese
21
minerals and metals on South Africa's critical list: 5 high, 5 moderate to high and 11 moderate criticality
26 Mt
of manganese shipped from South Africa in 2025, about 16 Mt of it by Transnet rail, according to the Minerals Council
Which critical minerals does South Africa produce?
The table shows where South Africa ranks in USGS estimates of 2025 world production. It leads in four minerals and is second in palladium.
| Mineral | 2025 production (USGS estimate) | Share of world | Rank | Reserves (share of world) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum | 120,000 kg | 71% | 1 of 5 | not reported |
| Chromium | 23,000 kt of chromium content | 45% | 1 of 8 | 350,000 kt |
| Manganese | 7,600 kt, gross weight | 38% | 1 of 9 | 550,000 kt (31%) |
| Palladium | 70,000 kg | 36% | 2 of 5 | not reported |
| Vanadium | 5,000 t of vanadium content | 4.4% | 4 of 6 | 520 t (2.5%) |
| Fluorspar | 410 kt | 4% | 4 of 13 | 41,000 kt (12%) |
| Gold | 90 t of gold content | 2.7% | 11 of 13 | 5,000 t (7.6%) |
| Iron ore | 66,000 kt of usable ore | 2.5% | 8 of 17 | not reported |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 chapters. Shares are calculated by this site from the USGS country figure and the larger of the USGS world total and the sum of the country figures, because USGS rounds the world total. Units differ by row. Rank is among the countries named in each USGS table. Platinum and palladium are in kilograms; USGS gives a combined reserve figure for platinum group metals, so no per-metal reserve share is shown.
What is South Africa's critical minerals strategy?
The strategy ranks minerals by criticality and prioritises beneficiation, with rail and port capacity as the main bottleneck. The table gives each element with its source.
| Item | What it says | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy | Approved by Cabinet; lists 21 critical minerals and metals: platinum, manganese, iron ore, coal and chrome ore as high criticality; gold, vanadium, palladium, rhodium and rare earth elements as moderate to high; copper, cobalt, lithium, graphite, nickel, titanium, phosphate, fluorspar, zirconium, uranium and aluminium as moderate; the list is to be reviewed continually | Filed May 2025 | Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources |
| Reserve base | According to the strategy, South Africa holds the largest known reserves of platinum group metals (88% share), manganese (80%) and chromite (72%) and 16 commodities in the global top 10 | Strategy text, citing DMPR and USGS | Strategy |
| Manganese export terminal | Transnet issued a Request for Qualification to select a private partner to develop and operate a new 25-year manganese export terminal, with a corridor from the Northern Cape to Ngqura in the Eastern Cape; Transnet rail handles about 16 Mt a year and roughly 10 Mt is hauled by road | 25 September 2026 | Engineering News (Reuters) |
Which of its projects has the European Commission recognised?
| Project | Stage | Promoter | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zandkopsdrift | Extraction | Frontier Rare Earths Limited | Manganese, Rare earths |
The Commission recognises these projects outside the EU for faster permitting and coordinated support. A recognition is a status, not production.
Which South African projects has the Commission recognised?
The Commission recognised Frontier Rare Earths' Zandkopsdrift project in South Africa among its 13 projects outside the EU, as the table in this profile shows. A recognition is a permitting and support status and not production. The strategy's own criticality ranking rates rare earth elements moderate to high, well below platinum and manganese, which reflects where South Africa's output is.
What constrains South African exports?
Rail and port capacity constrain bulk exports such as manganese, which is why Transnet is seeking a private partner for a new corridor and terminal. South Africa was a major supplier of six of the critical minerals the United States imports in USGS's 2025 count. See the logistics page and the manganese page for how bulk logistics shape supply.
Frequently asked questions
What does South Africa produce most of?
By USGS estimates South Africa mined 71% of the world's platinum, 45% of its chromium and 38% of its manganese in 2025, and ranks second in palladium with 36%.
How many critical minerals are on South Africa's list?
The Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy lists 21: five of high criticality (platinum, manganese, iron ore, coal and chrome ore), five of moderate to high criticality and eleven of moderate criticality.
How much platinum group metal reserve does South Africa hold?
USGS lists 63 million kilograms of platinum group metal reserves in South Africa, out of a world total of more than 76 million kilograms.
What is the manganese export corridor?
It is a proposed Transnet corridor from the Northern Cape to a new terminal at Ngqura, for which Transnet issued a request for qualification on 25 September 2026 to find a private partner for 25 years.
Sources
Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Platinum-group metals
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Chromium
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Manganese
- Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources: Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy South Africa (2025)
- Engineering News: Transnet begins process to expand manganese export capacity (25 September 2026). Reuters report
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 (full publication, import sources)
- Commission Decision C(2025) 3491, annex (Zandkopsdrift)
- Commission Decision C(2025) 3491, annex (4 June 2025)
