“We’re not beggars”: Mantashe hints at restricting mineral exports to the US

“Let us not immobilise all of Africa. Let’s just hold mirrors to the US. If they don’t give us money, we won’t give them minerals”.

These were the cutting words of South Africa’s Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe following threats from the United States’ president, Donald Trump.

Trump has threatened to withhold funding from South Africa following the signing of the Land Expropriation Bill two weeks ago.

But it seems SA is not going down without a fight.

Mantashe was speaking at the 2025 African Mining Indaba being held in Cape Town this week, where he suggested that SA would not allow itself to be bullied.

“If as a continent we are frightened and we fear everything, then we are going to collapse. But we will collapse with minerals at our doorstep,” he said.

He reminded his audience that Africa was the world’s richest mining jurisdiction.

US BUYS SA’S MINERALS

According to the US Office of Technology Evaluations,  the United States imports a variety of minerals from South Africa, with a significant focus on precious metals.

In 2021, the US’ imports from South Africa were valued at R298.86 billion ($15.7 billion), with the top commodity sectors being stone, glass, metals, and pearls (66.3%), base metals, iron, steel, tools (8.8%), and chemicals, plastics, rubber, and Leather products (8.1%).

Platinum group metals are a significant export from SA to the US.

US POISES ITSELF AS HUB OF HIGH-TECH AND NEEDS SA FOR THIS

The US has branded itself as the centre of high-tech production. This needs platinum group metals, which are essential for various high-technology applications.

In 2021, platinum group metals accounted for almost half of South Africa’s exports to the US.

If South Africa were to cease supplying these critical minerals to the US it could have significant implications on  high-technology production. A disruption in this supply could also pose risks to US national security and affect various industries dependent on these materials.

AGOA

And while the US may also threaten to dissolve its African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the US could suffer more than SA might.

The AGOA is a US trade policy that allows certain African countries, including South Africa, to sell goods to the US without paying import taxes (duties).

 While it allows  SA businesses to sell a wide range of products in the U.S without extra costs, The U.S. gets access to valuable South African products (especially minerals like platinum and manganese) at competitive prices.

The US is allowed to remove SA from the agreement if it feels the country is not respecting human rights – as it does in the case of the Expropriation Bill.