South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe is strengthening his mining empire as African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) confirmed its participation in a bid to develop a new manganese export facility at Ngqura Port in the Eastern Cape.
Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) is joining a major consortium to develop a new manganese export facility at Ngqura Port, Eastern Cape.ARM’s strong financial performance, with interim earnings up 10%, enables it to pursue significant infrastructure projects like the new terminal.South Africa, which holds 75% of the world’s identified manganese-ore reserves, will shift exports from Port Elizabeth to the higher-capacity Ngqura hub.Motsepe’s mining empire is further strengthened by this expansion, alongside existing joint ventures in platinum group metals
The move comes on the back of ARM’s strong interim results, with earnings rising 10% to R8.66/share, reflecting growing profitability and financial muscle to pursue strategic infrastructure projects.Patrice Motsepe-led ARM will join the Manganese Producers Consortium (MPC) as a joint venture partner with Transnet for the Ngqura Manganese Ore Export Terminal, alongside major mining players South32, Anglo American, and Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining (controlled by Exxaro Resources).South Africa holds about three-quarters of the world’s identified manganese-ore reserves, mostly in the Kalahari Basin of the Northern Cape. Over 85% is exported as raw ore or partially processed concentrate, giving the nation 36% of the global seaborne manganese trade and putting pressure on rail and port logistics.
According to Moneyweb, Transnet plans to decommission the Port Elizabeth manganese terminal (5.5 million tons/year) and shift exports to Ngqura, a new hub with 16 million tons capacity. The state-owned operator is also working with the private sector to upgrade the rail corridor from the Northern Cape to Ngqura, ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with exports.The terminal, with an initial capacity of 16 million tons a year, could expand to 22 million tons, providing ARM a critical platform for manganese exports to global markets.ARM, South Africa moves to strengthen mining industryThis expansion builds on Motsepe’s existing mining portfolio. ARM already has stakes in platinum group metals (PGMs) through joint ventures with Anglo American (Modikwa Mine) and Impala Platinum (Two Rivers).
