Metallurgy

Geology

The geological setting of the Limpopo Province dates to a as far as 3.6 billion years old, making it one of the provinces containing rocks in South Africa. The regional geology of the province is characterised by lithological features of the Limpopo River Basin.

• Greenstone Belts (Rhenosterkoppies, Pietersburg, Giyani and Murchison Greenstone Belts).
• Limpopo Mobile Belt.
Transvaal Supergroup.
Bushveld Igneous Complex (Lebowa Granite, RLS, and the Rooiberg Group).
Phalaborwa Igneous Complex.
Karoo Supergroup.
Kimberlites.

Mineral occurences in Limpopo Province

Beneficiation Strategy

The beneficiation strategy framework was underpinned by the following objectives • To confirm security of supply of raw materials for the iron and steel plant, with related industries at the Makhado Complex; and • Explore other mineral opportunities that support the initial concept proposed at the Makhado Complex. The MMSEZ posits a central role to the underlying mineral resource base for generating competency and competitiveness in complex manufacturers and fostering of economic linkages. It presents three alternatives for maximising economic potential and ensuring the sustainability of the provinces’ mineral endowment:
  • The development of linkages upstream and downstream of the resource-based plants.
  • The development of a capital goods and services sector, initially supporting and dependent on the resource-based sector, but eventually emerging into an independent sector.
  • The migration of generic technologies from a developed capital goods and services sector to other high-tech industrial sectors-the’ lateral migration’ of technology.

Beneficiation Strategy

Existing Plan : Metellurgical Cluster

Other Oppotunities

Input Minerals

Chrome, Coal, Limestone & Dolomite, Manganese, Silica & Vanadium.

Minerals/Opportunities

Copper, Dimension Stone, Fluorspar, Gemestone, Graphite, PGMs, REE’S Vermiculite, Alternative Energy.

Key Strategic Areas of Intervention

Proposed interventions and initiatives that will stimulate growth in the mining industry in and subsequently open up beneficiation opportunities may include, but are not limited to:- Leadership, Tenure and Mineral Rights Application Process, Access to Geological Data, Incentives, Royalties and Duties, Infrastructure and Logistics, Social Labour Plans, Technology and Innovations, Skills Capacity, Collaborations.
Organizations which have been identified to play a critical role in contributing to the functioning of the mining industry in South Africa include CGS Council for Geoscience (execution of exploration and delineating potential mineral occurrences), CSIR Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (research and technological innovation), Mintek (provide processing technologies and methodologies for minerals processing) and DSI- Department of Science and Innovation in the support of the aforementioned initiatives.
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