Supply Growth Outpaces Demand, Average Industry Profit Declines, New Silicon Metal Projects Slow Down [SMM Analysis]

Rubaya’s coltan industry shows how mineral wealth can sustain livelihoods while under conflict. This study traces the mining district’s ownership, formalisation efforts and M23’s takeover, then examines trade routes, taxation and risks facing miners. Rubaya matters to global tantalum supply, but its precise contribution is subject to further research.

Zimbabwe's Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has launched nationwide blitz inspections of alluvial chrome mining operations and processing plants, effective September 25, 2026, to enforce compliance with the country's mining laws. The inspections are initially targeting operations in Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West and Midlands provinces, before being extended to other parts of the country. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development Dr Thomas Utete Wushe said the exercise is aimed at ensuring chrome mining activities are conducted within the legal framework. The ministry cited Section 222 of the Mines and Minerals Act [Chapter 21:05], which classifies chromite as a designated mineral, and Section 225, which requires anyone seeking to work an alluvial or eluvial chromite deposit to obtain an order from the Mining Affairs Board. Dr Wushe warned that mining operations found in breach of the regulations could face suspension and other penalties, and said the inspections will also cover chrome processing plants to assess compliance with relevant regulatory requirements. The government has appealed to members of the public to assist authorities by reporting suspected illegal alluvial chrome mining activities. The inspections come amid wider efforts by Zimbabwean authorities to regulate mining activities and ensure mineral resources are extracted and processed in accordance with the law, following earlier findings that the country's chrome output fell sharply in the first quarter of 2026 as more accessible alluvial deposits became depleted, pushing producers toward costlier hard-rock extraction methods.

China's zero-tariff policy for qualifying South African exports has significantly boosted demand for dry bulk commodities moving through South Africa's Port of Ngqura, including chrome, magnetite, iron ore and corn, port business strategy manager Xola Mkontwana said. Speaking during a media tour of the adjacent Coega Special Economic Zone in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, Mkontwana described "exponential growth" in commodity throughput destined for the Chinese market since the policy took effect, saying the zero-tariff treatment has assisted bulk throughput across the port system specifically for commodities including chrome and magnetite alongside iron ore and corn. The zero-tariff treatment applies to qualifying exports from South Africa and 19 other non-least-developed African countries, and officially took effect on May 1, 2026. The framework runs as a two-year, non-reciprocal arrangement through April 30, 2028, expanding duty-free access to the Chinese market for African goods, provided exporters comply with rules of origin and standard customs regulations. The initiative fulfils commitments made under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) framework aimed at promoting more balanced bilateral trade and supporting industrialization across the African continent. Mkontwana attributed the surge in Chinese orders to expanding industrial and infrastructure activity in China combined with favorable price realizations for South African mining and agricultural producers. Port of Ngqura, located roughly 20 km northeast of Gqeberha, is South Africa's newest deep-water commercial port and serves as a logistics gateway connecting Eastern Cape minerals, agricultural produce and automotive manufacturing to global shipping lines, offering an additional export route for South African chrome alongside the Richards Bay and Maputo corridors more commonly associated with the country's chrome trade. No specific chrome tonnage or volume figures for Port of Ngqura were disclosed in the report.