Dhahabu Mining says infrastructure failures keep critical mineral projects ‘in the ground’

By Charmaine Ndlela

Johannesburg-headquartered Dhahabu Mining used the closing day of the African Mining Indaba to warn that rail, power and water constraints are keeping critical minerals projects “in the ground”, saying that public-private partnerships are essential to unlocking South Africa’s growth ambitions in the sector.

“Infrastructure is the unseen bottleneck. You can have the best orebody and flowsheet, but without rail, power, and water, it stays in the ground. Public-private partnership is the only way forward,” Dhahabu Mining founder and CEO Arthur Quphe, told Inside Politics.

The Investing in African Mining Indaba, which started earlier this week in Cape Town, concludes on Thursday.

Quphe said the company aims to catalyse growth in South Africa’s critical minerals sector by moving the country beyond exporting raw ore.

“Our vision is to position South Africa as the go-to destination for responsible critical minerals production, not just exporters of ore, but processors of