Sirius Minerals Holdings Pty Ltd

Description of Problem: The artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector in South Africa faces many systemic challenges, including poor infrastructure for mineral testing, weak traceability mechanisms, and limited access to reliable market information. High entry barriers, inefficient supply chains, and unregulated trade further result in untraceable, often illicitly sourced minerals. This lack of regulation worsens the exploitation of ASM miners, who are denied fair pricing and international market access, and also leads to significant economic losses for governments due to uncollected taxes. Illicit trade undermines legitimate markets, while the absence of formal structures prevents ASM miners from equitably participating in the value chain. Given that over 75% of the mining workforce is ASM, there is an urgent need to formalize and support these groups. A just transition would drive sustainable economic development by integrating ASM miners into regulated trade channels, providing fair remuneration, and opening access to international markets. This would also secure the livelihoods of local communities reliant on mining and improve tax revenue by curbing illicit activities. Solution: SIRIUS, a Mineral Trading Platform, addresses these issues by closing infrastructure gaps, promoting market access, and ensuring traceability. It creates an equitable ecosystem that supports ASM miners while advancing economic justice and sustainability. The platform provides ASM miners access to a reliable, transparent market for their minerals. Key features include AI-driven mineral testing, instant market offers for verified minerals, blockchain-based traceability, market information, direct buyer connections, and mineral certification for regulatory compliance and international trade. SIRIUS also integrates tax compliance, enabling secure transactions and supporting government oversight to foster sustainable trade.