South Africa can learn from Finnish beneficiation model, Minerals Council says at Mining Indaba

South Africa’s mining industry must transition from a raw material exporter to a high-tech industrial hub by adopting the Finnish beneficiation model. Finland’s success stems from a national strategy that links mineral extraction to downstream processing for batteries and clean energy, supported by R&D spending of 3% to 5% of GDP—contrasting sharply with South Africa’s 0.8%. Realizing this shift requires a "one-stop" integrated licensing system to eliminate administrative fragmentation and a costed strategy for critical minerals. While the sector has already deployed 1.8 GW of clean energy, growth is hampered by the risk of double taxation from overlapping carbon budgets and the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Successful public-private partnerships, such as the R12-billion Vaal Gamagara water project and the Olifants River Management Program, demonstrate the potential for collaborative infrastructure, yet regulatory hurdles remain for mines at different stages of their lifecycle.