Energy Capital & Power spoke with Lawrence Bbosa, Strategic Executive, Mining & Minerals Sector, at South Africa's national mineral research organization Mintek about the country’s critical mineral, local continent and mineral beneficiation strategy during African Mining Week 2025.

Mintek played a central role in developing South Africa’s newly announced Critical Minerals Strategy. What are the key priorities and target markets outlined in this framework?

The main objective of the strategy is to identify opportunities for growth by classifying elements and commodities according to their level of criticality - high, moderate, or low - not only from a global perspective but also in terms of their strategic importance to South Africa. The approach is built around key pillars designed to drive implementation, starting with exploration and geoscience, which focus on the collection and accessibility of geological data. This enables a clearer understanding of where the country’s mineral resources are located and their potential quantities. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that these minerals are processed and beneficiated locally, maximizing their value for South Africa’s economy.

How is South Africa progressing its local content strategy and what specific role is Mintek playing in driving this agenda?

Local content focuses on creating opportunities for local communities to benefit from the wealth generated by mineral resources. One of the major challenges faced by junior miners is access to investment, and efforts are being made to ensure they receive the necessary training to secure financing, adopt modern technologies and develop projects that are both bankable and attractive to investors. These initiatives also aim to help junior miners access international markets while promoting environmentally responsible practices and ensuring that the technologies and solutions they employ are safe for workers and surrounding communities.

The core of our approach begins when a client comes to us with a new discovery but is uncertain about how to advance it. We start by helping them map out a clear strategy - guiding them from ownership of the resource to its full development and commercialization. Our goal is to prevent the export of raw materials at a fraction of their potential value by ensuring the entire value chain is developed locally. Progress has been swift, driven by strong partnerships and collaboration across research and development teams, the private sector, and government stakeholders

What was Mintek’s core message and takeaways at African Mining Week?

For me, beneficiation is absolutely achievable, and the key to realizing it lies in platforms like African Mining Week. Forums such as this provide a space for meaningful dialogue - where researchers, developers, investors, and governments can come together to develop practical solutions and collaborate in advancing the entire value chain.

Watch the full video interview here.