Saldanha was thrust into the national spotlight last week when Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho
Ramokgopa toured the Tronox Mineral Sands Smelter as part of the government’s push to revive South Africa’s industrial sector.
The ministerial visit on Monday 11 May, highlights Saldanha’s continued importance as a strategic industrial hub and the critical role of reliable energy supply in keeping heavy industry operational, Tronox Vice President Mpho Mothoa said.
Tronox’s smelter, one of only two titanium smelters the multinational operates in South Africa, processes mineral sands into high-grade materials for global healthcare, construction, packaging and manufacturing.
For Saldanha, the facility is a major employer in a region where quality jobs remain scarce, contributing to the company’s 2 200 direct employees and 2 800 contractors nationally.
“We need to deploy excess generation capacity to get people and the South African economy going,” Minister Ramokgopa told employees and stakeholders. “Smelter by smelter, factory by factory, we will get the economy up and running again,” Mothoa said, sustaining operations is about more than infrastructure.
“These facilities represent jobs, livelihoods and confidence in the future. Our priority is to keep the business operating, protect jobs and continue contributing to the broader economy.”
The visit forms part of broader government engagement with energy-intensive industries critical to jobs, exports and economic recovery.
