China-South Africa Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Sustainable Exploration and Utilization of Mineral Resources
（中国-南非矿产资源可持续开发利用“一带一路”联合实验室）

In 2018, the "China-South Africa Joint Research Center for Mineral Resources Development and Utilization" was inaugurated in both China and South Africa. On June 11, 2019, based on this joint research center, the "China-South Africa Joint Laboratory for Sustainable Development and Utilization of Mineral Resources under the Belt and Road Initiative" was approved for construction (Document No. 186 of the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2019), becoming one of the first 14 joint laboratories under the Belt and Road Initiative recognized by the Ministry of Science and Technology. The "China-South Africa Joint Laboratory for Sustainable Development and Utilization of Mineral Resources under the Belt and Road Initiative" is led by China Metallurgical Group Corporation, and jointly established with top South African research institutions in the mining field such as Mintek, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the University of Cape Town, and the University of Limpopo. It aims to establish a long-term and stable scientific and technological cooperation relationship through collaborative scientific and technological research in areas such as scientific research cooperation, talent cultivation, platform construction, and technology transfer in the mining field, providing important talent, technological and industrial support for the economic and social development of China, South Africa and mineral resource countries along the Belt and Road Initiative.

BGRIMM has joined hands with its South African partners to solve mining problems with advanced mining and metallurgical technologies, setting a benchmark for scientific and technological cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. The leading South African partner, Mintek, a national mining technology research institute established in 1934, focuses on mineral processing, metallurgical technology, and green mine technology research and development. It has multiple pilot and industrial-scale test bases and is one of the largest mining technology research institutions in Africa. Another partner, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), established in 1945, is South Africa's largest comprehensive research institution, covering fields such as materials science, geological exploration, and environmental engineering. The Mandela Mining Precinct, based on the CSIR, is a core innovation institution in South Africa's mining sector. The University of Cape Town, a top research university in Africa, is also a partner. Its Department of Mineral Resources Engineering enjoys a high reputation in the international mining field. The University of Limpopo, located in Limpopo Province, rich in mineral resources, focuses on the development of mining engineering and geological sciences. The University of the Witwatersrand, as an observer of the cooperation, is South Africa's oldest and strongest university in mining engineering. Its School of Mining Engineering ranks 17th globally, with outstanding achievements in deep shaft mining, sustainable mining, and digital and intelligent mining.

The China-South Africa Joint Laboratory for Sustainable Development and Utilization of Mineral Resources under the Belt and Road Initiative mainly focuses on the common key technical problems in the field of mineral resources of both China and South Africa, as well as those in the surrounding countries. It conducts joint research in mining, mineral processing and solid waste resource utilization, fully leveraging the technical, talent and resource advantages of both China and South Africa in the sustainable development and utilization of mineral resources. It aims to break through the common key scientific and technological bottlenecks in the industry. The joint laboratory has established long-term and stable scientific and technological cooperation relations with each partner country in terms of talent cultivation and project cooperation, accelerating international industrial capacity cooperation in the mining sector, providing important human resources and technical support for the economic and social development of both China and South Africa and the related countries under the Belt and Road Initiative, and contributing to the implementation of the national "Belt and Road" initiative in depth and solidly.