The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Council for Geoscience and the Industrial Development Corporation have opened the second window for applications for the Junior Mining Exploration Fund (JMEF).
The fund has been allocated some R240 million for those seeking funding in mining.
“Among other objectives, the JMEF fund enables eligible South African junior mining businesses to access funding so they can conduct prospecting work, increase junior miners’ access to mine ore bodies and promote economic inclusion that will support equitable economic growth,” the three entities said in a joint statement.
The terms of reference have been revised but critical requirements are that the applicants must be junior miners with a valid prospecting or mining right and the applicant’s requirements should exceed R10 million and be capped at a maximum of R50 million.
Other terms of reference require applicants to use funding for the following activities:
- Early stage discovery exploration activities (detailed activities to be outlined by CGS and agreed between all parties).
Example of services that can be considered by the fund:
- Drilling and logging.
- Rock sample analysis.
- Geophysics surveys.
- Geochemistry studies.
- Geo-tech assessment.
- Geohydrological studies.
- Environmental studies.
- Other requisite geo expertise that may include data interpretation and consolidation into a Competent Persons Report (CPR).
Examples of other advanced exploration activities include further resource definition, geotechnical studies, metallurgical testing, environmental-impact assessments, permitting and regulatory compliance and feasibility studies.
Targeted minerals for the second round of applications include tin, tungsten, copper, lithium, titanium, uranium, gold, antimony, arsenic and fluorspar.
The fund will prioritise the greenstone belts for gold and antimony. However, all gold/antimony exploration projects are welcome to apply.
First round
The first window of applications saw some R160 million allocated to eligible applicants.
“Eight applicants drawn from sections of the sector and spread across the country successfully applied for funding, which was duly disbursed.
“Established in 2023, the JMEF forms part of South Africa’s mineral exploration strategy, whose objective is to, among others, attract exploration investment, reignite mineral development, accelerate new mineral discoveries, while encouraging optimal utilisation of the country’s mineral resources,” the statement read.
Application forms can be found at https://www.idc.co.za/junior-mining/.
The application window opened on 30 September 2025 and will close on 31 October 2025.