There are some 680 producers of industrial minerals in South Africa, of which almost half are in the sand and aggregate sector.
There are some 153 producers of clays (brick-making and special), 40 limestone and dolomite, 79 dimension stone, 28 salt and 20 silica producers.
The bulk consumption of industrial minerals is realised in the domestic market, as most are low-priced commodities and sold in bulk, making their economic exploitation highly dependent on transport costs and distance to markets.
