Dr. Molefi Motuku
CEO Mintek
Dr Molefi Motuku is currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Council for Mineral Technology (MINTEK). He was previously the Group Executive: Research, Development, Innovation, and an Acting CEO of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Prior to joining the CSIR, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA). He managed the Advanced Materials (Physical Metallurgy) Division at MINTEK and was later appointed General Manager: Research & Development before joining NMISA in 2010. Before joining MINTEK, he was the Director of Fort Hare Institute of Technology (University of Fort Hare); and before that, he was an Assistant Professor of Mechanical & Materials Engineering at Tuskegee University, USA. He spent over four years in the mid-eighties in a mining environment at Johannesburg Consolidated Investment Co. Ltd (JCI), Rustenburg Platinum Holdings. Dr Motuku graduated with a PhD and MSc in Materials Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), USA. He holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and BSc in Physics from Tuskegee University, USA. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and proceedings of international conferences, and presented significantly at local and international conferences and forums. He was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) in the USA.
2026 Agenda Sessions
Is the term “Critical Minerals” right for Africa?
The traditional definition for critical minerals was defined by the global north referring to minerals needed for the energy transition. Should Africa follow this definition, is it right for its development, and is there a clear way to avoid definition overload?
Tuesday 10 February 09:00 - 10:15 Ngorongoro Crater Stage (CTICC1 - Level 2)
Critical minerals
The traditional definition for critical minerals was defined by the global north referring to minerals needed for the energy transition. Should Africa follow this definition, is it right for its development, and is there a clear way to avoid definition overload?
Ngorongoro Crater Stage (CTICC1 - Level 2) Africa/Johannesburg








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