South Africans are holding thumbs that manganese will make its mark as an electric vehicle (EV) metal. The world’s original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are giving it a chance to show off its resolve, which has put it in a race against cobalt, nickel and aluminium. They are all keen to be green but they are at the mercy of the EV OEMs. The only metal home and dry already is lithium. But South Africa does not mine lithium, which is why it is cheering on Manganese Metal Company, of Mbombela, Mpumalanga, which is taking up the challenge, as the Junior Indaba heard last month.