South Africa’s efforts to stabilise energy supply and support industrial recovery were highlighted during Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s visit to titanium feedstock producer Tronox’s mineral sands smelter, in Saldanha Bay, in the Western Cape, last week.

The smelter is one of only two titanium smelters operated by Tronox in South Africa, and as a continuous baseload facility, it processes titanium-bearing mineral sands into high-grade materials used in the global healthcare, construction, packaging and manufacturing industries.

The visit forms part of government's broader engagement with energy-intensive industries critical to job creation, exports and economic recovery.

Ramokgopa toured operations and engaged with management on the role that reliable power plays in keeping major beneficiation facilities running.

He also stressed the urgency of accelerating industry development through the growth and resilience of smelters and factories across South Africa.

"We need to deploy excess generation capacity to get people and the South African economy going. Smelter by smelter, factory by factory, we will get the economy up and running again. Operations like Tronox matter, and we are grateful for the contribution they make," Ramokgopa said.

Tronox has operated in South Africa for more than three decades and employs over 2 200 people directly, with a further 2 800 contractors across its KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape operations.

Tronox Asia Pacific and South Africa operations VP Mpho Mothoa said that sustaining operations involved much more than infrastructure alone.

"These facilities represent jobs, livelihoods and confidence in the future of South African industry. Our priority is to keep the business operating, protect jobs and continue contributing to the broader economy," he said.

The visit underscores the importance of collaboration between government and industry as South Africa works to balance energy security, economic growth and employment protection.

Tronox reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with government and to the long term sustainability of its South African operations.