2025 has not been a bad year for the South African mining industry and, as year-end approaches, it continues to make a difference in the country’s economy and the lives of workers and communities at large.

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Even though global economic conditions have been challenging over the years, mining has been managing to make a real difference, among other things, creating jobs and supporting local businesses.

The Minerals Council South Africa says the industry contributed more than R470 billion to household income in 2024, and also created new opportunities and jobs through local mineral sales worth R248 billion.

It further says the industry has been supporting varied stakeholders through driving investment, paying taxes and royalties, advancing education and training, as well as investing in social projects and infrastructure.

2025 has presented a mixture of opportunities and some significant challenges, mainly driven by the global energy transition, with demand for critical minerals and green metals growing.

While this created potential for growth, the industry was still hampered by energy constraints, slow licensing processes and, particularly, a rise in illegal mining.

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It also had to face the need to improve efficiency, employ technologies to increase the safety of workers and also deal with the pressure to achieve sustainability and reduce its carbon footprint. 

Strides are being made in investing in technologies such as automation and AI to boost efficiency, improve safety and reduce costs.

And, even though the consensus seems to be that gold is officially in decline, there is still strong global demand for key commodities like gold and PGMs, particularly from countries such as China and India, which is supporting the performance of the sector in South Africa.