South Africa Invests $20 Million in Frontier Rare Earths' Zandkopsdrift Project to Support EU Supply Chains
South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation has invested $20 million in Frontier Rare Earths' Zandkopsdrift project, aimed at reducing the EU's dependence on China for critical minerals. The investment will fund a feasibility study for the project, which plans to produce rare earth products and battery-grade manganese from 2030. The European Union designated Zandkopsdrift as a strategic project in 2025, and Frontier has partnered with Carester SAS for extraction technology.
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The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of South Africa has invested $20 million in the Zandkopsdrift rare earths project managed by Frontier Rare Earths Ltd. in Northern Cape. This project aims to assist the European Union in decreasing reliance on China for critical minerals.
The IDC's funding will support a definitive feasibility study set to lead to production of rare earth products and battery-grade manganese by 2030. The EU recognized Zandkopsdrift as a strategic asset in 2025.
Frontier has also signed an agreement with Carester SAS to implement proprietary extraction technology, with future output to be processed in France. Revenues from manganese by-products are expected to position Zandkopsdrift as a low-cost producer of rare earths outside China.
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