Mining rights

Mining right applications under the MPRDA.

A mining right is the permission to mine a named mineral on named ground for up to 30 years. We prepare the whole file — technical, environmental, social and legal — lodge it, and stay with it until the department decides.

R425,000fixed, all-in fee

No payment to begin. You get a written fixed-fee mandate letter before any work starts.

What a mining right actually is

Minerals in South Africa belong to the State. Owning the farm does not give you the right to mine it. To mine lawfully you need a mining right granted by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy under the MPRDA.

A mining right is granted for a specific mineral, over a specific area, for a period of up to 30 years, and it can be renewed for 30 years at a time. Once granted it must be executed notarially and registered at the Mineral and Petroleum Titles Registration Office before it is fully effective.

If your operation is 5 hectares or smaller, a mining permit is the faster and cheaper route — R225,000 all-in, valid for 2 years and renewable three times.

What we prepare for you

A mining right application is really six applications in a trench coat. These are the workstreams we run, and we run them together rather than handing you between consultants.

Mining work programme

The mine plan, production schedule, capital and the technical case that the department reads first.

Social and Labour Plan

Local economic development, human resources and housing commitments, written so you can actually deliver them.

Environmental authorisation

EIA, EMPr and the rehabilitation financial provision, aligned with your water use application.

Consultation record

Landowners, occupiers, traditional authorities and interested parties — recorded so it survives an appeal.

Empowerment and compliance

Shareholding, Mining Charter alignment and the company housekeeping the department checks.

Grant to registration

Departmental queries, objections, notarial execution of the right and registration at the MPTRO.

What it costs

One fixed, all-in fee agreed in writing before we start.

Most requested

Mining right application

A full MPRDA mining right: work programme, social and labour plan, environmental inputs and consultation run as one coordinated file.

R425,000 all-in

  • Mining work programme and mine plan inputs
  • Social and Labour Plan drafted
  • Environmental authorisation, EMPr and water use alignment
  • Full consultation record and objection management
  • Lodgement, departmental queries and decision follow-through
  • All departmental application fees included
Start application

Mining permit (5 hectares or less)

Small-scale mining permit prepared and lodged through to grant, with the environmental and consultation work coordinated for you.

R225,000 all-in

  • Mining permit application and work programme
  • Environmental authorisation and EMPr coordination
  • Financial provision quantified and lodged
  • Consultation and objection handling
  • All departmental fees included
Start application

The process

01

Tell us about the ground

You complete a short online application. We confirm which right or permit fits, and what is missing.

02

Fixed mandate letter

Before any work starts you get a written mandate letter with the exact fee, what is included and what is not.

03

Prepare and lodge

We draft the application, work programme and consultation record, then lodge it with the department.

04

Through to grant

We answer departmental queries, handle objections and take the file to decision and registration.

Mining right questions, answered

Apply for your mining right

Tell us about the ground and the mineral. We confirm whether a mining right or a mining permit fits, what is missing, and the fixed fee.