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Ezekiel Phalana
South Africa today successfully hosted the G20 Critical Minerals Stakeholder Engagement at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel in Sandton, convening key government officials, industry leaders, labour representatives and civil society stakeholders under the theme “Harnessing Critical Minerals for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development.”
The event was led by Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe, who emphasised the strategic importance of critical minerals to the global energy transition, industrial development and South Africa’s leadership within the G20 during its 2025 presidency.
The engagement introduced the G20 Critical Minerals Framework, a policy platform that outlines key principles and actionable pillars designed to promote value addition, transparent trade practices, environmental stewardship and inclusive partnerships among mineral-rich and consuming nations.
This initiative is not just about resources beneath our soil,” said Minister Mantashe. “It’s about people, prosperity and partnerships. Africa must not remain a source of raw materials alone — we must become architects of our own value chains.”
Key Objectives and Outcomes:
- Presentation of the G20 Critical Minerals Framework, including its vision, principles, and five key pillars.
- Multi-sectoral dialogue on how to operationalize the framework through public-private partnerships, policy reform, and technical cooperation.
- Reaffirmation of South Africa’s commitment to local beneficiation, job creation, and climate-aligned mineral development.
The event also served as a build-up to the G20 Leaders’ Summit, scheduled for November 2025 in Johannesburg, where critical minerals will feature prominently on the agenda.
Stakeholders hailed the engagement as a necessary step toward global cooperation and equity in the critical minerals sector. Representatives from the mining industry, academia, labour unions and civil society participated actively in thematic discussions ranging from responsible sourcing to investment readiness.
South Africa’s G20 presidency has positioned the continent as a central voice in global discussions on the future of clean energy technologies, where critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earths play an indispensable role.
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