Global economy and trade shifts have put South Africa on the brink of an extraordinary industrial transformation. Our mineral wealth, including iron ore, chrome, coal and anthracite, offers a foundation that only forward-thinking, resource-rich nations can match. With the right strategy, we can convert these resources into engines of growth that enable investment, create jobs, build skills and anchor regional value chains.
Every bridge, building, railway line, and mine shaft depends on steel. Rather than viewing the current challenges as a death knell, we should see them as a call to action a chance to reimagine and rebuild. The recent closures of coal and anthracite mines, for example, free up assets and skilled workforces that can be redirected toward a modern, integrated steel and ferrochrome sector if we could get them to perform at their potential
When steel production dies, so does the foundation of an industrial economy. Unless we reverse the current decline, we risk becoming a nation that exports raw iron ore and chrome ore only to import finished steel and ferrochrome at inflated prices, surrendering both economic sovereignty and the capacity to build our own future.
