A September report from Stats SA shows that mining production in South Africa increased by 4.4% year-on-year in July 2025. Production also rose in May and June after falling in February, March, and April.

A chart indexing mining production at 100 points in 2019, which accompanies the report, showed that the industry had largely stagnated, with the index trapped below that level since 2021.

Industry experts who spoke to The Common Sense blamed logistics bottlenecks, regulatory and licensing uncertainties, the unchecked efforts of environmental activists, and the costs of BEE compliance for dampening investor interest in South African mining.

Last month, the Minerals Council of South Africa, which speaks for most mining firms invested in the country, said “The regulatory environment must be conducive to encouraging investment in exploration, mine development, and sustaining existing mining operations so that the industry can grow, create jobs, and generate the wealth it is capable of delivering for the benefit of all South Africans…Our key point of departure in engagements with the Department is to have pragmatic conversations that address elements of the Bill [Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill] that discourage investment and growth of the industry, which we all agree has untapped potential that is not being realised.”

The Council added that “it is of fundamental importance for the Minerals Council that the Bill creates certainty, predictability, and a competitive regulatory environment, while eliminating ambiguity.”

As interest in South Africa’s mining industry has waned, interest elsewhere on the continent has risen.

However, a 2025 report by advisory firm BDO warned that, although “Africa is rich in minerals essential for renewable energy technologies… the continent’s mining industry faces several challenges related to unreliable electricity grids and environmental and social concerns… Alongside this, there can sometimes be challenging and complex tax regimes that mining companies need to navigate.”