Every Friday, SAfm’s radio anchor Sakina Kamwendo speaks to Martin Creamer, publishing editor of Engineering News & Mining Weekly. Reported here is this Friday’s At the Coalface transcript:

Kamwendo: South Africa’s status as a supplier of rare earth elements has been elevated sky high through local research.

Creamer: It is amazing what they did is they found waste product on a dump in Limpopo and they have used laboratory work to get this ready for commercialisation. They are going to be the lowest cost in the world the less capital invested for rare earth elements and this is Rainbow Rare Earth listed in London, but heavily focused in South Africa. The world wants these rare earth elements; they are going to be able to supply them at low cost for all the new technologies around electric vehicles, robotics, and wind turbines. So, it is a great step forward for South Africa.

Kamwendo:  The sale of South Africa’s aluminium assets to Alcoa of the US is on track for completion next year.

Creamer: We have got the biggest aluminium smelter in the southern hemisphere and the only reason why we built that in Richards Bay 30-years ago was because the electricity was so cheap. But the electricity price has since gone up and what has also happened is that we produce the aluminium, but we don't mine the bauxite here. we import the ingredients and we make the aluminium here. So, at this point in time, if you can get someone bigger to come in, it is going to be good for South Africa, and Alcoa, listed in New York, is now researching this and they will probably take a decision next year before mid-year that they will take over South Africa’s aluminium producing assets, and Alcoa is substantial all along the aluminium value chain , so it could be great for South Africa.

Kamwendo: The production of tin in Namibia is reaching new heights.

Creamer: We are looking at exploration in South Africa. We still haven't got a cadastre. We still haven't got stimulus for exploration. But, when you look at tin in Namibia, who has developed that? Andrada. Who are they? They are South Africans. Why have they gone to Namibia? Because, there you have got certain incentives to explore and develop a mine and these are people, the Viljoen family, who are really well versed in exploration. So, why I'm reflecting this development at Uis tin mine in Namibia is because it is doing so well and sets an example of what could and should be done in South Africa. The operation in Namibia has just announced an eightfold increase in gross profits and the tin mine has reached a new level. This is an example of what should be happening in South Africa. Now, we know that there is tremendous work going on in South Africa to grow South African mining. South Africa now has the Government-Business Partnership for Growth and jobs and this partnership includes Minerals Council South Africa, which is looking at how South Africa can stimulate exploration. There is an exploration plan already approved by government and private sector. We are hoping to have a cadastre in place by March next year and then all we need is some sort of stimulation instrument that all the other mining jurisdictions in the world have got and we could have exploration going like we are seeing around us and we need that to grow the mining sector in South Africa as is being done in South Africa’s neighbouring countries.

Kamwendo: Thanks very much. Martin Creamer is publishing, editor of Engineering News & Mining Weekly.