Lithium prospecting spreads over 73,000 hectares, sparking farmer opposition in South Africa
Lithium licences now cover about 73,000 hectares, including 117 farms, prompting protests from farmers who fear loss of land and 30,000 jobs.
South Africa’s push to tap critical minerals for the green-energy transition has resulted in lithium prospecting licences covering about 73,000 hectares—approximately the size of Pretoria—and encompassing 117 farms and coastal land. The Sugar Cane Growers Association warns that the licences could endanger 30,000 jobs tied to sugar production, labor and tourism in the KwaZulu-Natal region. Villagers such as Albert Mthembu describe blasting, dust clouds and cracked homes that have left them with little choice but to move, while SA Lithium claims it has relocated 150 farmers voluntarily and generated more than a thousand jobs.
The existing mine occupies 150 hectares of pits and 180 hectares of waste dumps and plans to expand further. A spokesperson for the mineral resources department declined comment, and critics fear the expansion could permanently degrade water and soil quality, threatening the area’s annual million tons of sugarcane and macadamia output.
Why it matters
The story shows how South Africa’s green-energy goals clash with the livelihoods of rural communities.
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