Volume II - The Northern Cape Provincial Spatial Development ...

Northern Cape PSDF
Volume 2
Office of the Premier &
Department of Rural Development & Land Reform
December 2011
John Taolo Gaetsewe district, and it contributed approximately 27% to the Northern Cape
mining industry in 2007 (LED Strategy).
Hotazel has extensive manganese reserves and some of the best quality in the world, and it
recently opened a new manganese mine, Tshipi é Borwa. The Tshipi e Ntle Manganese
Mining (Tshipi) inititiative, which is a joint venture between Pallinghurst Co‐Investors and a
black empowerment company representing several groups called Ntsimbintle Mining, will
spend R1.45‐billion on the project. Indications are that Tshipi can produce approximately
2.2 million tons of ore per year, for approximately 60 years (Northern Cape Business,
2011).
The Kalagadi manganese project involves the construction of a manganese mine and a
sister plant near Hotazel, and was initiated by Kalagadi Manganese Ltd, a company with
women in many leadership positions. The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is a
10% shareholder in this project by virtue of its investment of approximately R60‐million in
start‐up costs. In 2010 the IDC announced a further injection of R2.3‐billion in the project,
which will have total costs when complete of approximately R12‐billion. The production
capacity at the mine will have to be three million tons a year to produce the projected 2.4
million tons of sinter at the plant. Approximately 700 000 tons from the plant will be used
to feed a new ferromanganese smelter complex to be built at the Coega Industrial
Development Zone in the Eastern Cape. Work on the smelter is expected to begin in May
2011 and is planned to produce 320 000 tons of high‐carbon ferromanganese per annum
(Northern Cape Business, 2011).
c) Copper: The largest copper mines are near Areachap north of Upington, and deposits also
found in various locations in the Namaqua district, especially around Nababeeb and
Aggeneys.
d) Lead: The Namaqua District Municipality accounts for 93% of South Africa’s lead
production with the Gamsberg mine being one of the world’s major producers of zinc.
Furthermore, the Black Mountain mine near Aggeneys produces lead, copper, zinc and
silver by mining various deposits in the area.
e) Zinc: The Northern Cape is responsible for approximately 18% of South Africa’s total copper
production, with the two most prominent mines in Nababeep and Aggeneys. The
Carolusberg Mining Complex has copper reserves of 37.5 million tons, while the Nigramoep
deposit has 15 million tons. Zinc is less abundant than the lead deposits, but the province
is still responsible for approximately 43% of South Africa’s overall zinc production. Various
untapped mineral deposits of zinc is located at Gamsberg and Aggeneys.
f) Diamonds: In addition to the kimberlite pipes (i.e. Kimberley Big Hole) and frissures; river
and coastal deposits are also present in the Northern Cape. Diamonds have been
recovered along the Orange, Buffels, Spoeg, Horees, Groen, Doorn and Swart Rivers in the
province, while coastal deposits have been found at the Orange River Mouth to Lamberts
Bay. The most important alluvial diamond mining activities take place on a 250 km stretch
of the Namaqualand coast. The concession areas are arranged in numbered 30 km wide
coastal perpendicular strips. The following are the most important mines along the coast:
• Koringnaas Complex between Micthells and Somnaas Bay.
• The Buffels Island Complex near Kleinzee.
• The Buffels Marine Complex situated at the mouth of the Buffels River.
• The Alexander Bay area between Port Nolloth and the Orange River mouth.
Alluvial diamond mining occurs in the Pixley ka Seme district along the banks of the Vaal
River, and one of the most prominent mines are found at Saxendrift. South Africa’s
second‐biggest diamond mine, Finsch, at Danielskuil (165k m west of Kimberley) produced
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Dennis Moss Partnership