https://www.miningweekly.com

Receive our free daily newsletter:

Manganese

Manganese is a hard, brittle, silvery-grey metallic element that is essential to iron and steel production and serves as a key alloying agent in metallurgy. It is the twelfth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and is never found as a free metal in nature, occurring instead in minerals such as pyrolusite, rhodochrosite and braunite. The metal is primarily extracted through mining of manganese ores, which are then processed into ferromanganese and silicomanganese alloys used in steelmaking to improve strength, toughness and resistance to wear. Approximately 90% of global manganese production is consumed by the steel industry, where it acts as a deoxidiser and desulphuriser, whilst the remaining 10% finds applications in batteries, fertilisers, pigments and chemical compounds. South Africa, Australia, Gabon and China are among the world's leading producers, with South Africa's Kalahari manganese field in the Northern Cape representing one of the largest known reserves. The element is also gaining strategic importance in the battery minerals sector, particularly for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles, where manganese-rich cathode chemistries offer cost and safety advantages. Manganese dioxide is a critical component in alkaline batteries and is being explored for use in next-generation energy storage systems. The metal is typically graded by manganese content, with high-grade ores containing more than 44% manganese being preferred for metallurgical applications. Demand for manganese is closely tied to global steel production trends, infrastructure development and the energy transition, making it a commodity of enduring industrial and economic significance.

Manganese News


South Africa's large Hillside Aluminium in Richards Bay.
South African aluminium assets’ sale to Alcoa on track, South32 reports
6th November 2026 By: Martin Creamer

The sale of South Africa’s aluminium value chain assets to Alcoa Corporation of the US remains on track for completion in the June 2027 half-year, Johannesburg-, Sydney- and London-listed South32... 


Tshipi mine
Jupiter reports solid first-quarter performance despite challenging manganese market
30th October 2026 By: Sabrina Jardim

ASX-listed Jupiter Mines has reported that the Tshipi manganese mine, in South Africa, achieved a solid first quarter of its 2027 financial year with production, logistics and sales volumes ahead... 


Transnet Port Terminals CEO Jabu Mdaki
Transnet Port Terminals weighs further private partnerships to accelerate volume growth
30th October 2026 By: Terence Creamer

Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), which was central to the broader Transnet Group’s first and largest private sector participation (PSP) transaction to date, is actively pursuing two more partnership... 


Firebird's Hunan pilot facility
Firebird meaningfully reduces sulphur content, improves tap density of battery precursor material
26th October 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

ASX-listed Firebird Metals has managed to reduce the sulphur content of its manganese-rich and nickel-manganese hydroxide materials by 46% to 610 parts per million, which strengthens the material's... 


An image of Afrimat group CEO Andries van Heerden
Afrimat’s revenue falls, but group cuts debt, grows aggregates business
22nd October 2026 By: Tasneem Bulbulia

Multicommodity, midtier mining and materials company Afrimat faced its most challenging trading conditions since it listed in 2006, during the six months to August 31, with revenue having decreased... 


Anglo's Quellaveco copper mine in Peru.
Anglo copper production down 5%, iron-ore down 4%, diamonds down 11%
20th October 2026 By: Martin Creamer

Diversified mining company Anglo American on Tuesday, October 20, reported 5% lower copper production, 4% lower iron-ore production, and 11% lower diamond production for the three months to... 


South Africa's large Hillside Aluminium in Richards Bay.
South African aluminium assets' sale to Alcoa on track, South32 reports
19th October 2026 By: Martin Creamer

The sale of South Africa’s aluminium value chain assets to Alcoa Corporation of the US remains on track for completion in the June 2027 half-year, Johannesburg-, Sydney- and London-listed South32... 


Firebird's Hunan pilot facility
Firebird successfully produces ultra-high-purity manganese sulphate
19th October 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

ASX-listed Firebird Metals has successfully produced a 99.99% ultra-pure manganese sulphate from an in-line impurity extraction process. The company developed a manganese-specific extractant and... 


Minerals Council South Africa CEO Mzila Mthenjane
Strong commodity prices in 2025 ensure modest growth backing for SA mining – Minerals Council
16th October 2026 By: Sabrina Jardim

While the South African mining sector continues to navigate a period of profound international and domestic change, this year has reinforced both the resilience of the sector and the importance of... 


Manganese mines and ports.
SA’s Tshipi puts 828 000 t of manganese through Namibia’s Port of Lüderitz
16th October 2026 By: Martin Creamer

The plan-beating sale of manganese ore by Jupiter Mines in its financial year 2026 (FY26) included 828 000 t going through the Port of Lüderitz in Namibia, the ASX-listed company stated in its... 


IMPROVING RESULTS, STEMMING IMPACTS
Varistem stemming plug can be deployed for productivity gains, on-the-bench procedural improvements and to reduce flyrock, airblast, noise and vibration, or a combination of these impacts
Environmental impacts reduced by using stemming plugs
16th October 2026 By: Donna Slater

The energy efficiency of the blasting process can be improved by using Varistem stemming plugs from Midrand-based mining consumables supplier ERG Industrial. For mining operations and blasting... 


An image of WMI director Professor Dr Pontsho Twala
WMI seminar explores challenges to sustainably grasping opportunity-rich mining future
14th October 2026 By: Tasneem Bulbulia

The Wits Mining Institute (WMI) held its annual industry seminar on October 8, titled “From legacy to leadership: shaping sustainable mining futures”. Industry leaders explored the key challenges... 


ARM says it will defend itself against legal challenge over Assmang
14th October 2026 By: Tasneem Bulbulia

JSE-listed African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) has informed its shareholders that it and Assore South Africa are involved in a legal dispute relating to, among others, ARM’s right to appoint senior... 


Critical Minerals Conference  Ferroalloys sector balancing geopolitics, tariffs, and the structural path to re-industrialisation
Critical Minerals Conference Ferroalloys sector balancing geopolitics, tariffs, and the structural path to re-industrialisation
9th October 2026

South Africa’s critical minerals sector faces a pivotal moment as energy tariff reforms, port efficiency gains, and global policy shifts intersect to shape the future of local beneficiation. The... 


Ferroalloys sector balancing geopolitics, tariffs, and the structural path to re-industrialisation
Ferroalloys sector balancing geopolitics, tariffs, and the structural path to re-industrialisation
9th October 2026

South Africa’s critical minerals sector faces a pivotal moment as energy tariff reforms, port efficiency gains, and global policy shifts intersect to shape the future of local beneficiation. The... 


Manganese symbol
Research, innovation key to unlocking greater critical minerals value, conference hears
2nd October 2026 By: Lumkile Nkomfe

Greater investment in research, innovation and collaboration by academia and industry is needed to unlock more value from Africa’s critical mineral resources, Stellenbosch University chemical... 


Photo of Martin Creamer
On-The-Air (02/10/2026)
2nd October 2026 By: Martin Creamer

Martin Creamer talks about drone upliftment, manganese through Namibia and Sibanye-Stillwater trading on the A2X  


Photo of Martin Creamer
Drone upliftment, manganese through Namibia, Sibanye-Stillwater trading on the A2X make headlines
2nd October 2026

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer discusses the catalytic properties of platinum and palladium being researched and developed as a potential source of significant upliftment for drones; the 828... 


Manganese ore export activity.
South Africa risks leaving much manganese value unrealised if logistics issues persist
2nd October 2026 By: Martin Creamer

South Africa’s Manganese Producers Consortium (MPC), which represents producers that account for 60% of South Africa’s manganese ore exports, does not direct individual producers on the corridors... 


Manganese terminal at Gqeberha.
Phase 3’s test rail reform cannot afford to fail, says Manganese Producers Consortium
2nd October 2026 By: Martin Creamer

The third phase of the August 20-launched Government-Business Partnership for Growth and Jobs names freight logistics as a foundational enabler of growing the economy by 3%-plus and generating a... 


1
2 3

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION

➕

➕







pqt: 0.192s - ct: 0.245s - 275pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now