South Africa’s Government-Business Partnership Opens New Mining Investment Opportunities Ahead of c2026
CAPE TOWN, South Africa : South Africa is stepping up efforts to attract investment into its mining sector, with President Cyril Ramaphosa launching Phase 3 of the Government-Business Partnership, a public-private initiative designed to accelerate economic growth, investment, and job creation. Mining has been identified as a key pillar of the new phase, alongside energy, transport and logistics, tourism, infrastructure, and agriculture.
Growth Targets and Mining’s Role
The initiative targets GDP growth of more than 3% and the creation of one million additional jobs by 2030, with the mining sector positioned to play a central role in achieving those objectives.
Within mining, Phase 3 targets R50 billion in capital expenditure by February 2028 and the rollout of South Africa’s national mining cadastre system by March 2027. The digital platform is expected to streamline mining-rights applications and help address administrative and project-implementation bottlenecks, supporting efforts to attract new investment and improve the sector’s contribution to economic growth.
Economic Impact and Urgency
Mining currently contributes approximately 6% of South Africa’s GDP and supports around 470,000 direct jobs, with each mining job supporting an estimated five to 10 dependents. The urgency of accelerating investment was underscored by President Ramaphosa, who said the country’s current growth rate remains insufficient to meaningfully expand employment, with 8.5 million people unemployed and roughly 300,000 new job-seekers entering the labor force each year.
Critical Minerals and Investment Ambition
Phase 3 forms part of a broader national ambition to mobilize R2 trillion over the next five years to unlock South Africa’s critical minerals potential. The country holds approximately 80% of the world’s platinum group metals and ranks as the world’s largest producer of chrome and manganese, creating significant opportunities for investors across exploration, mining, processing, and related infrastructure. South Africa is also seeking to unlock an estimated R40 trillion in iron ore potential, further expanding the pipeline of opportunities for international and domestic capital.
African Mining Week 2026
Against this backdrop, African Mining Week (AMW) 2026 — the Most Influential Mining Conference in Africa — will bring together global investors, financiers, mining companies, and government decision-makers in Cape Town from October 14–16. The event comes at a critical juncture as South Africa seeks to translate its vast mineral endowment into new investment, production, infrastructure, and jobs while improving the regulatory environment needed to support long-term project development.
Key Speakers and Industry Leaders
AMW 2026 will feature senior figures from across South Africa’s mining and investment ecosystem, including:
Deputy Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Seiso Joel Mohai
Rand Refinery CEO Dean Subramanian
Transnet Freight Rail CEO Russell Baatjies
Gold Fields Executive Vice President: South Africa Benford Mokoatle
Minerals Council of South Africa CEO Mzila Mthenjane
Standard Bank Managing Principal and Coverage Head for Resources & Energy Shirley Webber
Executive Head for Energy, Infrastructure and Mining, Business and Commercial Banking Deerosh Maharaj
…among other industry leaders.
Partnerships and Investment Focus
Through high-level discussions, project showcases, and networking sessions, AMW 2026 will examine South Africa’s evolving regulatory environment, expanding project pipeline, and investment opportunities across the mining value chain. The conference will provide a platform for investors and industry stakeholders to explore how public-private partnerships, domestic capital, and international investment can accelerate the next phase of South Africa’s mining growth
