Minerals Council South Africa flags policy issues with mining amendment bill

Minerals Council SA CEO, Mzila Mthenjane. Picture: Supplied The first day of Investing in African Mining Indaba has kicked off with the Minerals Council South Africa highlighting some concerns surrounding the Mineral Resources Development Amendment Bill. From Tuesday until Thursday, Cape Town will house government officials, mining executives and investors to discuss the continent’s state of mining.

The Mining Indaba is described as the world’s largest, premier conference dedicated to African mining, focusing on investment, innovation, and sustainable development. Council CEO Mzila Mthenjane, addressing journalists at the State of the Mining Nation media briefing in Cape Town, said they found the bill, first published in May 2025, “disappointing”. “It did not encourage or sustain the investment and growth that the mining industry needs to realise its full potential to create employment, stimulate the economy and fulfil its social mandate,” he said.

The bill marks the most significant regulatory update to South Africa’s mining sector in almost 25 years, introducing major amendments to the 2002 Mineral & Petroleum Resources Development Act, the country’s cornerstone mining legislation. In his address, Mthenjane added that there is uncertainty surrounding the bill, which is not good for investor confidence. “The industry cannot thrive in an environment of policy uncertainty, where Acts are ambiguous and regulations discourage investment or are changed every few years, shifting goal posts, becoming more onerous or placing excessive obligations on ventures and established businesses,” he said. “Exploration and mining investments need regulatory and fiscal certainty over extended periods of time, ensuring returns on large amounts of capital invested by shareholders.” Mthenjane highlighted that it is important for the bill to create certainty, predictability and a competitive regulatory environment.