Regional Mineral Beneficiation Policy Interventions in the SADC: Stakeholder Perspectives

Abstract

The Importance of Mineral Beneficiation: Mining is a significant economic activity in most Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, and mineral beneficiation has been identified and controversially discussed as one of the possibilities for industrialisation. The purpose of this article is to study mineral beneficiation policies and practices in the SADC countries with regard to the regional developmental agenda. Methodology and Interventions: With many member countries being economically too small to muster the human and financial resources, the recently adopted Regional Mining Vision (RMV) envisages interventions at a regional level. This study followed a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews across the region mainly in English and seldom in French. Principal Results: Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts from SADC member countries during the 2019 Mining Indaba. Participants were divided on whether beneficiation should be carried out nationally or in the SADC region. While beneficiation could support value-keeping, key challenges named were infrastructure development (i.e. energy, water), scarce skills, access to technology and related cost, but also lack of free trade and movement. Conclusion: We submit that a more integrated beneficiation strategy for the SADC region, as was being developed through the RMV, would indeed be relevant in the future.