The phased revival of the Khwelamet manganese alloy smelter complex in Meyerton, Gauteng, started in January 2026 with site rehabilitation and refurbishment preparatory work, says mining investment company Menar special projects head Waheed Sulaiman.

Hot commissioning will be determined after State-owned power utility Eskom’s tariff application has been considered.

Khwelamet is owned and operated by private global investment company Khwela Capital, a joint venture between Menar and private securities firm Ntiso Investment Holdings.

The smelter operators are methodically progressing towards the full recommissioning of the facility, ensuring that all prerequisites for a safe and sustainable operation are met prior to reactivating the furnaces, he explains.

This includes sourcing the appropriate grade of manganese ore, coordinating rail transportation for raw materials and finished goods, securing requisite permits and licences, recruiting skilled technical personnel, refurbishing the furnaces and establishing a sustainable, cost-effective electrical supply.

Much of the required critical infrastructure is already on site, including a railway siding and high-voltage power transmission lines, which will support further development of the facility.

“Significant progress has been achieved across these areas, with current efforts concentrated on negotiations with Eskom regarding electricity provisioning,” says Sulaiman.

Menar Ports and Rail – Menar’s newly established rail operator and one of eleven authorised agents to access the national railway network – will serve a pivotal role in facilitating logistics for Khwelamet once its rolling stock and equipment are operational.

“The phased revival of Khwelamet is closely aligned with our vision of supporting beneficiation, industrialisation and economic growth in South Africa,” adds Sulaiman.

Khwelamet strengthens Menar’s participation in the ferroalloys sector and supports its ambition to build a vertically integrated manganese business that spans mining, logistics and processing.

“More broadly, the project demonstrates Menar’s belief that strategic industrial assets can be revitalised to contribute meaningfully to the country’s industrial development agenda,” he elaborates.

Circular Economy

While the smelter’s furnaces remain offline, Khwelamet is generating value through the reprocessing of historical furnace slag dumps. This operation recovers manganese for the production of about 2 000 t a month of 70% manganese alloy. The residual slag is processed into aggregate products for the construction sector.

The slag processing reduces the smelting complex’s environmental footprint while realising value from historically stockpiled material, which “represents an important example of circular economy principles in practice,” notes Sulaiman.

By extracting additional value from material that has undergone processing, Khwelamet can reduce waste, improve resource efficiency and reduce the environmental footprint associated with industrial operations.

Further, processing historical slag demonstrates how existing industrial assets and historic material streams can be leveraged to create economic value while supporting more sustainable operating practices.

Menar’s long-term goal with Khwelamet’s revival is to restore the facility’s ferromanganese production – a key step beyond exporting manganese ore.

The company will also explore opportunities to enhance value addition and competitiveness, considering market trends, technological advances, an energy mix and infrastructure, he adds.

“South Africa is in a good position” to benefit more from its significant manganese resources using new ideas, improved processing methods and supporting infrastructure to mine and beneficiate the commodity in-country, he says.

Private Partnership is Key

Public–private partnerships should play a direct and practical role in derisking projects of similar nature to Khwelamet, states Sulaiman.

State-owned rail operator Transnet is a clear example of why this is important: where the State does not have sufficient capital or capacity to invest at the required pace, private-sector participation can help restore, expand and improve critical infrastructure for the benefit of the broader economy, he says.

However, Sulaiman says this approach should not be limited to rail and should rather be carried across other critical industries to prevent the further decline of infrastructure to support South Africa’s industrial and economic recovery.

Meyerton was once an important industrial hub and a source of employment, as well as business opportunities for local enterprises and, thus, provided wider social benefits to nearby towns.

“The revival of Khwelamet, therefore, has significance beyond the reactivation of industrial infrastructure. It also represents an opportunity to support regional economic recovery, employment, skills development and supplier localisation,” he adds.

Sulaiman says that, for beneficiation and manufacturing to grow, South Africa needs functioning rail, reliable energy and supportive industrial policy to work together.

“As one of the world’s most significant manganese-producing countries, South Africa has a unique opportunity to create greater value from its manganese mineral resources through local processing rather than exporting raw materials,” he concludes.