The 22nd China Ferro-alloys International Conference, host ed by Ferro-Alloys.com, will be held on 20 May to 22 May, 2026 in Beijing city, China. We sincerely invite you jointly explore the development ferroalloys trend in 2026.  Why Attend?

[Ferro-Alloys.com]  South Africa Minerals Council Manganese Ore Facts Figures Pocketbook 2025

South Africa is home to approximately 70% of the world’s known manganese resources and boasts the

largest proven reserves globally. The country is also the world’s leading producer of manganese ore, accounting for about 40% of the global export market.

Manganese is a critical component in steelmaking, where it enhances strength and toughness by reducing brittleness. It also serves as a powerful deoxidiser, prevents corrosion, improves abrasion resistance and increases steel’s hardenability. Steel production alone accounts for roughly 90% of global manganese demand.

The second-largest application is in aluminium manufacturing. Adding small amounts of manganese significantly improves aluminium’s corrosion resistance. Alloys such as aluminium-manganese and aluminium-manganesemagnesium are widely used in products ranging from kitchenware and roofing to car radiators, transportation components and - most notably- beverage cans.

Beyond metallurgy, manganese plays an increasingly important role in electric vehicle battery technology. It is a key material in lithium-manganese-nickeloxide (LMNO) and lithium-ion batteries, where it can boost

capacity by up to 20% in the latter. Manganese is also used in several other battery chemistries, underscoring its growing significance in energy storage solutions.

Industry developments in 2025:

• Production in 2025 is expected to come in slightly above the record set in 2024, with output projected at

approximately 20.3 million tonnes compared to 19.8 million tonnes in 2024. Sales are, however, likely to drop, with estimates pointing to a 2.7% decline to around R48.7 billion in 2025.

Data from SARS shows that 24 million tonnes of manganese ore were exported in the first 11 months of 2025. Annualised, this suggests total exports of about 26.2 million tonnes for the year -setting a new record and surpassing the previous high of 22.3 million tonnes in 2024. Approximately 95% of manganese export

volumes were destined for Asia. China dominated as an export destination, accounting for nearly

68% of all manganese exports followed by India (15.6%), Singapore (3.3%), Malaysia (2.6%) and Japan at 1.6%. Following Asia, the EU accounted for around 7% of manganese exports. Encouragingly, employment data suggests the manganese industry grew employment levels by around 7% in 2025 to 12,778 employees with earnings for the industry growing by an estimated 11.7% to R6.3 billion.

Industry constraints:

• Transnet’s rail network currently has the capacity to transport approximately 16 million tonnes of

manganese ore annually from the Northern Cape to the Port of Gqeberha. However, with total annual

exports in 2025 likely reaching about 26 million tonnes, around 10 million tonnes of manganese ore are

diverted to road transport. Transnet plans to issue a Request for Information in early 2026 to explore shifting more manganese exports to the Port of Ngqura. This move could increase export capacity to approximately 22 million tonnes – up from the current 16 million tonnes - while reducing reliance on road transport in favour of rail. The initiative aims to improve efficiency and enhance the industry’s  overall competitiveness.

• Operational disruptions and inefficiencies at Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) in Gqeberha and Saldanha,

which handled approximately 65% and 25% of manganese exports, respectively, in 2025, continue to undermine export performance. These challenges are compounded by deteriorating infrastructure and outdated, unreliable sampling equipment, along with weather related challenges. There appears to be a focused effort to address these challenges, with operational performance improvements - similar to those noted in the iron ore sector - also evident along the manganese corridor.

Manganese has also been discussed alongside chrome regarding the potential introduction of an export tax. In October 2025, the majority party in the GNU’s 10-Point Economic Action Plan stated: “The third intervention is to rebuild our chrome and manganese industries. We will finalise chrome and manganese

export tariffs, implement defensive duties on dumped imports, and expand alloys and battery precursor production.” However, like chrome, the Minerals Council remains unconvinced that imposing an export tax on manganese  would incentivise beneficiation in any meaningful way. The Minerals Council, together

with manganese producers, is currently conducting datadriven research to identify pathways for supporting the manganese industry that can be presented to government, without harming one of South

Africa’s fastest-growing sectors over the past three decades.

Industry outlook:

• Manganese consumption is closely tied to the steel industry, with China remaining the dominant market. South Africa holds the world’s largest manganese resource, accounting for roughly 70% of global reserves, though Gabon and Australia also hold significant deposits. Consequently, growth projections for China’s

economy and steel sector are critical indicators for future manganese demand. According to the IMF’s October 2025 forecast, China’s economy is expected to grow by 4.2% in 2026, down from 4.8% in 2025.

Similarly, the World Steel Association projects Chinese steel demand to decline by 1% - a moderation in the pace of contraction – with the construction sector anticipated to gradually stabilise in 2026. Provided

trade tensions do not escalate, manganese demand should remain resilient in the year ahead.

The cost structure of manganese mining operations makes production highly sensitive to price fluctuations,

and the availability and cost of road and rail transport. These operations typically run on thin margins, and if prices do not justify the use of road transport- which carries a 40% premium over rail - production is curtailed to maintain profitability.

• [Editor:tianyawei]