October 22, 2025 • OPIS TALKS METALS: South Africa’s chrome and manganese ore sectors are at a historic inflection point. With President Cyril Ramaphosa announcing plans for export tariffs on both minerals, questions are mounting across the mining and global ferro alloys industry, which is dependent on South Africa for its ores. Will the proposed duty help rebuild domestic smelting capacity or risk undermining one of South Africa’s most valuable export streams? In this exclusive OPIS Talks podcast with McCloskey, Bongani Motsa, Chief Economist at the Minerals Council South Africa, joins our Research and Analysis Director Tiisetso Nkosi and Associate Director, Research & Analysis, Rohan Baid to unpack the economics, trade implications, and policy risks of this proposed intervention. From China’s dependence on South African ore to the realities of high energy costs and illegal mining, we explore what’s really at stake for South African miners and global ferro alloy smelters. Have questions or feedback? Please drop us a line at energy-marketing@opisnet.com. Please help us spread the word by sharing OPIS Talks. Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.