Mining Sector Targets 100,000 New Jobs and R65bn GDP Boost by 2035
Mining Sector Targets 100,000 New Jobs and R65bn GDP Boost by 2035. The Minerals Council South Africa (MCSA) is targeting between 50,000 and 100,000 additional jobs by 2035 through its Investment and Growth Strategy, with sustained annual mining sector growth of 3% potentially adding approximately R65 billion to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
MCSA president Paul Dunne outlined the targets at the 2026 Joburg Indaba, highlighting the sector’s economic contribution and the obstacles limiting its growth.
Dunne said mining generated R814 billion in export earnings in 2025, making it South Africa’s largest source of export earnings and a significant contributor to investment and employment.
Despite the country’s mineral resources, mining expertise and industrial capabilities, he argued that the sector had not reached its full potential.
According to Dunne, the council’s strategy seeks to identify the factors constraining investment and develop an evidence-based approach to improving mining’s contribution to the economy.
He identified infrastructure quality, permitting efficiency, regulatory predictability, energy reliability and public institutions as factors influencing investment decisions. He also cautioned that many constraints extend beyond the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR), requiring coordinated action across government.
To address these challenges, the MCSA and the DMPR have agreed on three workstreams.
The first aims to address administrative bottlenecks affecting mining projects, with the objective of unlocking more than R50 billion in capital expenditure by February 2028. The opportunities include new investments, expansion projects and initiatives to extend mine lives.
The second workstream will examine competitiveness gaps and reforms needed to strengthen South Africa’s position as a mining investment destination.
The third supports the DMPR’s implementation of a transparent and efficient national mining cadastre by March 2027, intended to improve the administration of mineral rights and support exploration.
Dunne said the government-business partnership would help coordinate departments, regulators, state-owned entities and private companies around measurable priorities.
He added that the sector’s ability to translate mineral wealth into investment, exports and employment would depend on addressing systemic barriers and creating a more competitive operating environment.
