PUBLICATION

Engineering & Mining Journal

AUTHORS

Anna Stark, J.M. Peralta, Leanne Arendse

Southern Africa 2007 E&MJ Release

May 10, 2007

The global mining industry is experiencing a mineral boom with the highest commodity prices seen in over a decade, due in large part to the industrialization of both China and India. Mining in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries is a vast industry, contributing approximately 60% to the total foreign exchange earnings and 10% of total GDP, though in some member states it runs as high as 50%. The region is an important player on the international mineral market contributing between 11% and 45% of the world supply of eight major commodities, which include chromite, cobalt, diamonds, gold, manganese, copper, platinum and uranium, and has considerable potential in the dimension stone sector and other industrial minerals.

The mineral investment sentiment in the region remains high with a sustained level of exploration. Investors and governments are being rewarded with discoveries of major profitable mines across a range of commodities. This current trend should continue as older deposits reach maturity and world demand for mineral resources continues to grow.

RELATED INTERVIEWS MORE INTERVIEWS

Tembo Power is developing hydropower projects across Africa with a focus on DRC.
Chesser Resources is upbeat about its Diamba Sud gold resource in Eastern Senegal.
Robocon speaks with GBR about the outlook for its services in Peru.
"Our product innovation process involves gathering client feedback and submitting it to the factory, which determines which ideas to pursue based on economic considerations."

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Québec and Atlantic Canada Mining 2025

Québec and Atlantic Canada have traversed 2025 in an enviable position. Strong gold prices have buoyed balance sheets and investor sentiment, while global demand for critical minerals keeps the region firmly on the radar of international markets. At the same time, the provinces’ depth of mining expertise – from AI-driven exploration to advanced drilling, blasting, and geophysics – ensures that technological advantage is firmly on their side.

MORE PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED

MACIG

"Our jurisdictional diversification is certainly a defining characteristic of Thor, but so is the fact that our projects are also diversified by stage of development."

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER