South Sudan’s Minister of Mining, Hon. Martin Abucha, will speak at the upcoming Critical Minerals Africa (CMA) 2023 summit (https://CriticalMineralsAfrica.com/) in Cape Town, addressing the country’s plans to leverage rising demand for critical and industrial minerals to fuel the growth of its mining sector.
Largely untapped to date, South Sudan’s critical minerals have been appearing on investors’ radars in recent months. South Sudan reactivated joint agreements last February with neighboring Sudan, an established gold producer, to strengthen cooperation in the mining sector. Last June, South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy stated its readiness to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with South Sudan to facilitate technology transfer and cooperation across mining project development, beneficiation and value addition.
African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation, South Africa’s state-owned mining company, is also seeking partnerships with South Sudanese companies to collaborate in the valuation of minerals, capacity building and establishment of a mining-specific regulatory framework, among other strategic areas.
The East African nation is estimated to hold significant deposits of copper – approximately eight million tons, according to recent exploration studies – along with gold, diamonds, cobalt, nickel, lithium and rare earth elements. Comprehensive geo-mapping is underway to identify exact reserve quantities, with a view to granting mining concessions in the near future. At CMA 2023, established mineral producers from around the world will engage with trade, development and finance opportunities available in South Sudan, as it looks to build the early stages of its mining sector.
