US, South Africa revive mining talks as Trump seeks to counter China’s grip on critical minerals

The United States and South Africa have begun preliminary discussions on potential co-operation in mining, infrastructure and investment, signalling a possible thaw in relations after months of diplomatic strain.

• The United States and South Africa have opened preliminary talks on mining and infrastructure partnerships after months of diplomatic tensions.
• The discussions centre on critical minerals, an industry increasingly tied to global energy security and to competition in supply chains with China.
• Officials and business executives examined potential US-backed investments, including rare earth mining and logistics infrastructure projects.
• Although formal agreements remain distant, the talks suggest warming commercial ties between Washington and Pretoria.

According to a Financial Times report, officials and business executives from both countries met in Johannesburg on Wednesday in what was described as the highest-level bilateral engagement between Washington and Pretoria this year.

The talks focused on opportunities linked to critical minerals, an increasingly strategic sector as the US seeks to reduce dependence on China-dominated supply chains for metals used in clean energy, defence and advanced manufacturing.

Around 25 participants attended the meeting, including US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III, South African deputy ministers, government officials, and executives from the mining and banking sectors.

Representatives from several US agencies were also present, including the Treasury, Commerce, Energy, and Defence departments, as well as the US Export-Import Bank and the Development Finance Corporation.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Washington previously cut aid to South Africa, announced plans to resettle Afrikaner refugees in the US, expelled South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, and declined to participate in South Africa’s G20 presidency activities last year.

Despite those tensions, both governments appear to be seeking areas of commercial alignment, particularly in the critical minerals sector.

South Africa is one of the world’s leading producers of platinum group metals, chromium, manganese and vanadium, while also possessing significant smelting capacity, an area where China currently holds a dominant position globally.

One attendee at the Johannesburg meeting told the Financial Times that officials were developing a list of priority projects that could attract US backing.

Among the projects discussed was the Phalaborwa rare earths project, owned by Rainbow Rare Earths and supported by TechMet, a mining investment company backed by the US International Development Finance Corporation.

Potential US involvement in South Africa’s transport and logistics infrastructure was also raised, reflecting growing concerns over rail bottlenecks and port inefficiencies that have constrained the country’s mining exports and industrial growth.

The forum was convened by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, which first hosted discussions in the US in March. Officials involved in the talks cautioned that any formal agreement remains at an early stage.