Supply chain footprint — snapshot year 2025
| Element | Share % | Quantity | Global rank | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ir iridium |
83.0% | — | 1st | high | DOE Table A2 iridium mine-production share, 2020. South Africa's Bushveld Complex overwhelmingly dominates iridium suppl… byproduct of Cu, Ni, Pt |
| Rh rhodium |
82.6% | 18,400 kg per year | 1st | medium | Implats 2024 rhodium primary supply: South Africa 592 koz out of 717 koz global primary supply, converted to about 18.4 … byproduct of Ni, Pt |
| Ru ruthenium |
75.0% | — | 1st | medium | South Africa is the world's leading PGM mined-material producer (Bushveld Igneous Complex: Merensky Reef, UG2 chromitite… byproduct of Ni, Pt |
| Os osmium |
70.6% | 71.0 kg per year | 1st | high | Proxy derived from South Africa's 2024 platinum share in the USGS PGM table (120,000 kg Pt out of 170,000 kg world Pt). … byproduct of Ni, Pt |
| Pt platinum |
70.6% | 120,000 kg per year | 1st | high | South Africa 2024e: 120,000 kg Pt, down from 125,000 kg in 2023. South Africa is overwhelmingly the world's dominant pla… |
| Cr chromium |
44.7% | 21.0 million tonnes per year | 1st | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: South Africa 2024e = 21,000 thousand metric tons (up from 19,700 kt in 2023). Production increase a… |
| Pd palladium |
37.9% | 72,000 kg per year | 2nd | high | South Africa 2024e: 72,000 kg Pd; down from 74,900 kg in 2023 (−4% YoY). Production from the Bushveld Igneous Complex (B… byproduct of Cu, Ni |
| Mn manganese |
37.0% | 7,400,000 tonnes per year | 1st | high | USGS MCS 2025: South Africa 7,400 thousand metric tons Mn content 2024e. World's largest manganese producer; Kalahari Ma… |
| Ti titanium |
22.2% | 100,000 tonnes per year | 3rd | high | USGS 2024e: 100 kt. South Africa; leading US rutile import source (53% of US rutile imports Sep 2024). |
| Hf hafnium |
20.0% | 2,887 tonnes per year | 2nd | low | Derived from South Africa's 2024e zircon output of 300,000 t gross weight; hafnium rides with zircon feed. byproduct of Zr |
| Zr zirconium |
20.0% | 300,000 tonnes per year | 2nd | high | South Africa 2024e: 300,000 tonnes gross weight (300 kt), up from 289,000 kt in 2023. South Africa is the second-largest… |
| Ti titanium |
14.6% | 1,300,000 tonnes per year | 5th | high | USGS 2024e: 1,300 kt. Titaniferous magnetite mining primarily produces titaniferous slag. |
| F fluorine |
4.0% | — | 4th | high | |
| Au gold |
3.0% | 100 tonnes per year | 10th | high | South Africa 2024e: 100 metric tons. Reserves: 5,000 t. |
| Fe iron |
2.6% | 66.0 million tonnes per year | 7th | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: South Africa 2024e = 66,000 thousand metric tons. |
| C carbon |
2.5% | 235 million tonnes per year | 22nd | high | |
| Zn zinc |
1.0% | 120,000 tonnes per year | 11th | high | South Africa 2024e: 120,000 tonnes. Down sharply from 198,000 in 2023. Reserves revised 2024. |
| P phosphorus |
0.9% | 2.2 million tonnes per year | 15th | high | South Africa 2024 estimate: 2,200 kt (up from 1,720 kt in 2023). Foskor is the primary producer. |
| Si silicon |
0.8% | 40,000 tonnes per year | 17th | high | USGS 2024e: 40 kt. South Africa. |
| U uranium |
0.4% | 200 tonnes per year | 11th | high | South Africa 2023: 200 tU (NEA/IAEA secretariat estimate). Uranium is recovered as a byproduct from gold mining operatio… |
| Ca calcium |
0.3% | 1.1 million tonnes per year | 20th | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: South Africa 2024e = 1,100 thousand metric tons. |
| Si silicon |
0.2% | 10,000 tonnes per year | 24th | high | USGS 2024e: 10 kt. |
| Element | Share % | Quantity | Global rank | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rh rhodium |
65.0% | — | 1st | low | Estimated dominant rhodium refining location because South Africa supplies more than four-fifths of primary rhodium and … byproduct of Ni, Pt |
| Pd palladium |
40.0% | — | 1st | low | South Africa refines the majority of its own PGM output via the three major producers' refineries (Amplats Waterval, Imp… byproduct of Cu, Ni |
| Te tellurium |
0.4% | 4.0 tonnes per year | 7th | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: South Africa 2024 estimated refinery production 4 metric tons. byproduct of Cu |
| Element | Share % | Quantity | Global rank | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ir iridium |
77.8% | — | 1st | high | Share of total reported PGM reserves from USGS MCS 2025. South Africa's Bushveld Complex contains by far the largest iri… byproduct of Cu, Ni, Pt |
| Pd palladium |
77.8% | 63,000,000 kg | 1st | high | South Africa: 63,000,000 kg combined PGM reserves (77.8% of world total). Predominantly in the Bushveld Igneous Complex … byproduct of Cu, Ni |
| Pt platinum |
77.8% | 63,000,000 kg | 1st | high | South Africa PGM reserves: 63,000,000 kg — by far the largest national reserve base. Dominated by Bushveld Igneous Compl… |
| Ru ruthenium |
77.5% | — | 1st | high | SA PGM reserves: 63,000,000 kg = 63,000 t (77.5% of world total). Bushveld Igneous Complex. Derived Ru reserves ~4,410 t… byproduct of Ni, Pt |
| Rh rhodium |
77.5% | — | 1st | high | South Africa holds 63,000 tonnes of the more than 81,000 tonnes of reported world PGM reserves. Rhodium-specific tonnage… byproduct of Ni, Pt |
| Os osmium |
77.5% | — | 1st | high | Proxy from USGS combined PGM reserve geography: South Africa holds 63,000,000 kg of the reported >81,000,000 kg world PG… byproduct of Ni, Pt |
| Mn manganese |
32.9% | 560,000,000 tonnes | 1st | high | USGS MCS 2025: South Africa 560,000 thousand metric tons Mn content. Reserves revised based on Government reports. |
| Cr chromium |
16.7% | 200,000,000 tonnes | 3rd | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: South Africa reserves = 200,000 thousand metric tons gross weight (shipping grade). Bushveld Igneou… |
| Au gold |
7.8% | 5,000 tonnes | 3rd | high | South Africa: 5,000 t. |
| Zr zirconium |
7.2% | 5,300,000 tonnes | 2nd | high | South Africa: 5,300,000 tonnes ZrO2 content. Revised 2024. |
| Ti titanium |
5.9% | 34,100,000 tonnes | 5th | high | South Africa combined: ilmenite 28,000 kt + rutile 6,100 kt = 34,100 kt TiO2 content. |
| U uranium |
5.4% | 320,900 tonnes | 7th | high | South Africa 320,900 tU at <USD 130/kgU; 436,400 tU at <USD 260/kgU. Large resources associated with the Witwatersrand g… |
| Zn zinc |
2.6% | 5,900,000 tonnes | 9th | high | South Africa: 5,900,000 tonnes. Revised 2024. |
| Te tellurium |
2.3% | 800 tonnes | 5th | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: South Africa reserves 800 metric tons. byproduct of Cu |
| P phosphorus |
2.0% | 1,500,000,000 tonnes | 8th | high | South Africa: 1,500,000 thousand metric tons = 1.5 billion metric tons. |
| Ce cerium |
0.9% | 860,000 tonnes | 10th | high | |
| Fe iron |
0.5% | 930,000,000,000 tonnes | 13th | high | USGS MCS 2025: South Africa 930 million metric tons (revised). |