The Global Manganese Supply Landscape: Who Dominates as the Largest Producer of Manganese

In recent years, the world’s manganese supply has experienced significant shifts, with market prices swinging dramatically based on production disruptions, geopolitical factors, and emerging demand from the electric vehicle revolution. The story of global manganese production reveals a complex industry where a handful of nations control the vast majority of supply, reshaping everything from steel manufacturing to battery technology. Understanding which countries lead this critical mineral sector is essential for investors, manufacturers, and those tracking the clean energy transition.

Market Volatility Drives Strategic Shifts in Manganese Pricing

The largest producer of manganese and its supporting nations have all felt the impact of volatile pricing dynamics. In the second quarter of 2024, manganese prices surged dramatically after Tropical Cyclone Megan devastated the Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO) manganese operations in Australia’s Northern Territory. However, this spike proved short-lived. As alternative supplies ramped up and Chinese demand remained subdued, prices retreated to pre-storm levels by September 2024. Through the first quarter of 2025, manganese prices have held relatively steady, though market watchers remain focused on whether China can revitalize its economic growth to drive further consumption.

Beyond near-term price movements, long-term demand projections paint an ambitious picture. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence forecasts that manganese demand will expand eightfold between 2020 and 2030, driven almost entirely by surging requirements for electric vehicle batteries. This projection underscores why tracking the world’s largest producer of manganese and other major suppliers has become increasingly important for both commodity traders and technology investors.

The Diverse Applications of Manganese: Steel to Sustainable Energy

While steel production remains the dominant end-use for manganese, consuming it as an alloying agent to enhance strength and workability, the mineral’s role is rapidly expanding. Manganese-aluminum combinations serve the packaging industry, producing durable tin cans. In the energy storage sector, manganese dioxide appears in zinc-carbon and alkaline batteries, while refined crude oil benefits from manganese additives that protect engine components.

The most promising frontier for manganese lies in lithium-ion battery chemistry. Batteries based on lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) formulations demonstrate superior energy loading and extended lifespan, making them particularly attractive for electric vehicles. Equally significant is the emerging lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) chemistry, which uses manganese to enhance energy density, capacity, and cold-temperature performance—critical features for EV adoption in diverse climates.

Ranking the World’s Top Manganese Suppliers

Production data from 2024 reveals which nations control global manganese supply. The following overview, compiled from the US Geological Survey (USGS) and mining industry databases, identifies the nine leading producers and showcases the geographic concentration of this critical resource.

South Africa Reigns as the Clear Largest Producer of Manganese Globally

South Africa stands alone at the summit of global manganese production, holding a commanding 37 percent of worldwide supply. In 2024, the country produced 7.4 million metric tons of manganese, representing a 200,000 MT increase compared to 2023. Even more striking, South Africa controls 560 million metric tons of proven reserves—70 percent of the world’s known manganese mineral resources.

The country’s dominance stems from geography and geology. Much of its production concentrates in the manganese-rich Kalahari Basin. South32 operates significant holdings through a 44 percent indirect stake in South Africa Manganese operations, held jointly with Anglo American at 29.6 percent. These operations encompass the open-pit Mamatwan mine and underground Wessels mine, both high-capacity facilities. Another major player, Jupiter Mines, operates the Tshipi Borwa mine through a 49.9 percent ownership stake. Tshipi Borwa ranks as the largest manganese mine in South Africa and among the five largest globally, cementing South Africa’s status as the largest producer of manganese on Earth.

Gabon and Australia Chase the Leader with Significant Production

Gabon ranks as the world’s second-largest manganese producer, delivering 4.6 million metric tons in 2024 from its central-western African operations. The country supplied 63 percent of all US manganese ore imports during 2024, demonstrating its critical role in North American supply chains. The Moanda operation represents Gabon’s flagship facility, managed by Eramet subsidiary COMILOG—a firm recognized as the world’s second-largest producer of high-grade manganese ore. Notably, Eramet temporarily halted Moanda production in the fourth quarter of 2024 to respond to global market oversupply conditions.

Australia follows as the third-largest producer, contributing 2.8 million metric tons in 2024, virtually unchanged from 2023’s 2.86 million MT. South32 maintains operational control through a 60 percent stake in GEMCO, widely recognized as one of the world’s lowest-cost manganese ore producers. Anglo American holds the remaining 40 percent. The Tropical Cyclone Megan impact proved significant: South32 warned that damage to export infrastructure will restrict sales through at least the first quarter of 2025. The company and partner Anglo American previously operated Tasmania’s TEMCO alloy smelter before divesting it to GFG Alliance in 2021.

Emerging Suppliers Build Market Share Across Africa and Asia

Ghana entered 2024 as the fourth-largest producer at 820,000 metric tons, slightly exceeding the prior year. Mining operations concentrate in Ghana’s western region near Takoradi, with Consolidated Minerals (Consmin) maintaining a dominant 90 percent stake in Ghana Manganese Company, operator of the Nsuta mine. Consmin’s parent, Ningxia Tianyuan Manganese Industry (TMI), ranks among the world’s four largest manganese producers by volume, with much of Ghana’s output traditionally feeding TMI’s Chinese electrolytic manganese metal operations.

India produced 800,000 metric tons in 2024, up 56,000 MT year-over-year, making it the fifth-largest supplier globally. As a major consumer and producer simultaneously, India directs most of its manganese to steel fabrication. State-owned MOIL stands as India’s dominant producer and operates the nation’s sole electrolytic manganese dioxide manufacturing facility. MOIL’s fiscal year 2023/2024 (April-March) set records with 1.76 million MT of manganese ore production, though output eased to 1.33 million MT during the first nine months of fiscal 2024/2025.

China occupies the sixth position with 770,000 metric tons in 2024, essentially flat compared to 2023 but representing a notable decline from 1.34 million MT in 2020. COVID-related disruptions and subsequent production cuts tied to weakness in China’s real estate sector explain much of this contraction. While China remains a major ore producer, its role as a massive consumer of manganese in steelmaking operations proves equally significant. Large ore deposits reportedly discovered in Guizhou province in 2017 remain undeveloped, leaving China’s USGS-documented economic manganese reserves at 280,000 metric tons—second only to South Africa globally. Firebird Metals has partnered with a Chinese entity to construct a high-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate production facility designed to supply the electric vehicle battery sector.

Brazil ranks seventh with 590,000 metric tons in 2024, marginally above 2023’s output. Historically, Vale dominated Brazilian manganese mining with a 70 percent market share, but the company sold its Center-West manganese and iron ore assets to J&F Investimentos in 2022. J&F’s mining subsidiary Lhg resumed operations at the Urucum underground mine in Brazil’s mid-2023, with J&F subsequently committing US$1 billion to expand iron and manganese operations. Buritirama Mining, controlled by Grupo Buritipar, represents another significant producer, planning a US$200 million investment at its Para state facility.

Malaysia produced 410,000 metric tons in 2024, maintaining production levels from the prior year while establishing itself as an emerging ferromanganese hub. Malaysia now accounts for 24 percent of US ferromanganese imports, according to USGS data. OM Holdings subsidiary OM Sarawak operates a ferrosilicon and manganese alloy smelter complex that produced 317,995 MT of manganese alloy during 2024.

Côte d’Ivoire rounds out the top nine at 360,000 metric tons, nearly matching 2023’s production of 357,000 MT. The nation has dramatically expanded output over the past decade, peaking at 525,000 MT in 2020. Four operating mines—Bondoukou, Guitry, Kaniasso, and Lagnonkaha—drive current production. The vast majority of Côte d’Ivoire’s manganese exports flow to steel-producing China, with India and Latvia representing secondary markets.

Why Understanding the Largest Producer of Manganese Matters for Future Growth

The concentration of global manganese supply among a limited set of nations creates both opportunity and risk. South Africa’s dominance as the largest producer of manganese gives it significant leverage in commodity markets, while the geographic spread of secondary producers across Africa and Asia provides some supply chain resilience. As lithium-ion battery demand accelerates alongside electric vehicle adoption, manganese’s role in battery chemistry will only deepen—making investment in production capacity and downstream processing capabilities increasingly critical for companies and nations positioning themselves for the clean energy economy ahead.