South Africa: Mantashe inspects Steenkampskraal rare earths mine, betting on local beneficiation

South African Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, is visiting the Steenkampskraal Monazite Mine (SMM) site this Friday in the Matzikama local municipality, Western Cape. According to SAnews.gov.za, the South African government news agency, this deposit is among the richest rare earth deposits in the world, according to the Ministry of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, which sees it as of "strategic importance for the development of South Africa's rare earths and critical minerals sector." "South Africa must build robust beneficiation and manufacturing capacities to add value to our minerals closer to the point of production. Our mineral wealth must support industrialization, create jobs, and contribute to sustainable economic development," Gwede Mantashe stated ahead of the visit. According to the Ministry, the visit aims to assess the project's progress and discuss the development of local rare earth processing capacities, while complying with regulatory and environmental requirements. It emphasizes that "the safe management of naturally occurring radioactive materials remains an important consideration" for this deposit.