Safety & compliance Regulation
DMRE to DMPR: what changed for mining, 2024 to 2026
The DMRE is now the DMPR. Mining law, the Inspectorate and SAMRAD stayed with it; electricity moved to a new department on 1 April 2025.
Contents 9 sections
The DMRE is now the DMPR. By Proclamation 179 of 2024, the mining and petroleum laws of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy went to the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, whose department is the DMPR. The DMRE’s electricity and energy laws went to the Minister of Electricity and Energy, and a new Department of Electricity and Energy began on 1 April 2025. For a mining contractor the rules did not change. The Mine Health and Safety Act, the MPRDA, the Inspectorate, the regional offices and SAMRAD all sit with the DMPR, under new names and addresses.
Timeline: DMRE to DMPR
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Jun 2024 | The President announces the new Cabinet: “There will be a separate Ministry of Mineral and Petroleum Resources”, and the Ministries of Electricity and Energy “will be merged” | SAnews |
| 27 Aug 2024 | The President signs Proclamation 179 of 2024 in Cape Town, transferring the DMRE’s laws under section 97 of the Constitution, and the Presidency announces it | Gazette 51140; The Presidency |
| 30 Aug 2024 | Proclamation 179 is published in Government Gazette 51140 | Gazette 51140 |
| 29 Oct 2024 | The Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act is signed, to “separate petroleum provision from mineral provision” in the MPRDA | Parliament |
| 1 Apr 2025 | The Department of Electricity and Energy is established and starts operating separately from the DMPR | DEE; Engineering News |
| May 2025 | Draft Mineral Resources Development Bill gazetted for comment (comments closed 13 Aug 2025) | Minerals Council |
| 19 May 2026 | Budget Vote 34: the DMPR is allocated R2.86 billion for 2026/27 | Budget Vote speech |
| 31 Mar 2027 | The DMPR’s target for moving every province from SAMRAD to the new mining cadastre | Daily Maverick, quoting the DMPR Director-General |
Two government websites give different dates for the same Gazette. The DMPR says 27 August 2024 and the Department of Electricity and Energy says 30 August 2024. Government Gazette 51140 settles it. The President signed Proclamation 179 at Cape Town on 27 August 2024, and the Gazette that carries it is dated 30 August 2024 (Proclamation 179 of 2024).
In the Presidency’s words: “The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) will continue to exist until the legislation and relevant human and financial resources are transferred. The DMRE will then be replaced by two departments” (The Presidency, 27 Aug 2024). The DMPR describes the result as the “assignment of responsibility for mining, petroleum, and mineral resources” to itself (DMPR, About Us).
Which laws went where
A section 97 proclamation moves the administration of a law from one Minister to another. The wording of each Act stays as it was. The Proclamation’s schedule lists every Act by name:
| Went to the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) | Went to the Minister of Electricity and Energy (DEE) |
|---|---|
| Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 | Electricity Regulation Act, 2006 |
| Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 | National Energy Regulator Act, 2004 |
| Mines and Works Act, 1956 | National Energy Act, 2008 |
| Mining Titles Registration Act, 1967 | Gas Act, 2001 |
| Petroleum Products Act, 1977 | Gas Regulator Levies Act, 2002 |
| Central Energy Fund Act, 1977 | Nuclear Energy Act, 1993 and Nuclear Energy Act, 1999 |
| Petroleum Pipelines Act, 2003 and Petroleum Pipelines Levies Act, 2004 | National Nuclear Regulator Act, 1999 |
| Diamonds Act, 1986 and Precious Metals Act, 2005 | National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute Act, 2008 |
| Geoscience Act, 1993 and Mineral Technology Act, 1989 | Abolition of the National Energy Council Act, 1991 |
| Abolition of Lebowa Mineral Trust Act, 2000 |
Source: Proclamation 179 of 2024, Tables 1 to 3 and The Presidency, 27 Aug 2024, both read 25 Sep 2026. Table 4 of the Proclamation also moves the Minister’s powers under the Public Service Act and the Public Finance Management Act to the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources. The Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2024 came later and also sits with the DMPR (DMPR, About Us).
Two lines in that table matter on a mine site. The safety law and the mining law stayed together with the DMPR. So did the Petroleum Products Act, which is why the monthly fuel price statement now comes from the DMPR (see the September 2026 diesel price).
What changed for mining contractors
The name on the paperwork. Documents, appointments and correspondence now go to the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources. Its email addresses end in dmpr.gov.za: general enquiries go to enquiries@dmpr.gov.za and mining rights queries to samradonline@dmpr.gov.za (DMPR, Contact Info). Head office is at the Trevenna Campus in Pretoria, telephone 012 444 3000.
The SAMRAD portal address. SAMRAD, the online system for mineral rights applications and tracking, is run by the DMPR’s Mineral Regulation branch, with a helpdesk at samradonline@dmpr.gov.za (DMPR, Mineral Regulation). The login now sits at portal-samradonline.dmpr.gov.za.
A new mining cadastre, one province at a time. The department is replacing SAMRAD with an online cadastre. Daily Maverick reported in June 2026 that the Western Cape’s applications and licensing had “fully migrated”. The DMPR Director-General, Jacob Mbele, said the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape come next, and that “Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West have their challenges”. For the national rollout he gave “the end of my financial year, which is 31 March” (Daily Maverick, 9 Jun 2026). If your client’s rights sit in the coal or platinum provinces, expect SAMRAD for a while yet.
Electricity is a different department. Questions about electricity policy and the Electricity Regulation Act now belong to the Department of Electricity and Energy. The two departments still work together on power prices. In May 2026 the Minister named both, with National Treasury, among the departments working on electricity costs for mining (Budget Vote, 19 May 2026).
Petroleum left the MPRDA. The Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act separates oil and gas from mineral provisions (Parliament, 30 Oct 2024). Surface mining contractors are not affected unless they work on oil and gas sites.
What did not change
- The MPRDA. Prospecting rights, mining rights and mining permits are still granted under the same Act. The DMPR’s Mineral Regulation branch “is responsible for the administration of prospecting rights, mining rights, permits, and environmental compliance” under it (DMPR).
- The Mine Health and Safety Act and its regulations. Same Act, same duties for the employer and for contractors. Our guide to the MHSA for contractors covers those.
- The Inspectorate. The Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate is still established under the MHSA and “led by the Chief Inspector of Mines”. It still investigates accidents and conducts “inspections and audits at mines” (DMPR, MHSI). Section 54, which lets an inspector halt work, was not touched by the transfer.
- The diesel refund test. The refund still requires mining “by the holder or cessionary of the necessary authorisation” under the MPRDA. Our diesel refund piece covers what that means for contract work.
Nothing we read cancels rights, permits or appointments made in the DMRE’s name. Letters and certificates that say “Department of Mineral Resources and Energy” were issued under the same Acts.
Regional offices and the Inspectorate
The DMPR runs two sets of regional offices. The Mineral Regulation branch points “licensing, compliance, and enforcement-related queries” to its regional offices (DMPR, Mineral Regulation). On the contact page, each province lists a regional manager for mining, one for petroleum and a regional inspector (DMPR, Contact Info). The Inspectorate has “ten regional and one satellite office” (DMPR, MHSI).
| Province | Mineral regulation office | Inspectorate (MHSI) office |
|---|---|---|
| Mpumalanga | Emalahleni | Emalahleni |
| Limpopo | Polokwane | Polokwane |
| North West | Mahikeng | Klerksdorp and Rustenburg |
| Gauteng | Braamfontein, Johannesburg | Braamfontein, Johannesburg |
| Northern Cape | Kimberley and Springbok | Kimberley; Springbok satellite office |
| Free State | Welkom | Welkom |
| KwaZulu-Natal | Durban | Durban |
| Eastern Cape | Mthatha and Gqeberha | Gqeberha |
| Western Cape | Cape Town | Cape Town |
Built from the DMPR’s Contact Info and MHSI pages, read 25 Sep 2026. Check the current address and telephone number on those pages before you send anything; the pages list named officials, which change.
Laws still moving
Two Bills from the DMPR could change the rules for contractors. Neither was law on 25 Sep 2026.
- Mineral Resources Development Bill. The draft amending the MPRDA was gazetted for comment in May 2025 (Minerals Council). In May 2026 the Minister said it was “before the Office of the Chief State Law Advisor (OCSLA) for legal certification”, after which it goes to Cabinet and then Parliament (Budget Vote, 19 May 2026).
- Mine Health and Safety Amendment Bill. The Minister described it as “before this House for consideration” in May 2026. Our MHSA guide tracks its progress.
Checklist: what to update
Common questions
Is the DMRE the same as the DMPR?
For mining, yes in function and no in name. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy was split. Its mining and petroleum laws, including the MPRDA and the Mine Health and Safety Act, went to the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, and the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) now runs them. Electricity and energy laws went to the Department of Electricity and Energy, which started on 1 April 2025.
Are mining permits and rights issued by the DMRE still valid?
The split moved who administers the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act. It did not amend the Act, and nothing we read cancels rights or permits granted under it before the change. Check the conditions of your own permit or right with the DMPR regional office if in doubt.
Where do I apply for a mining permit now?
Through the DMPR. Its Mineral Regulation branch handles prospecting rights, mining rights and permits under the MPRDA, through SAMRAD and the regional offices. According to the DMPR Director-General, as reported by Daily Maverick in June 2026, the Western Cape has moved to a new online cadastre and the target for the rest of the country is 31 March 2027.
Sources
- Proclamation Notice 179 of 2024, Government Gazette 51140 (signed 27 Aug 2024, published 30 Aug 2024), read 25 Sep 2026
- The Presidency, President Ramaphosa transfers legislation previously administered by the Minister of Resources and Energy (27 Aug 2024), read 25 Sep 2026
- DMPR, About Us: Overview, read 25 Sep 2026
- Department of Electricity and Energy, home page, read 25 Sep 2026
- SAnews, Meet SA’s new cabinet (30 Jun 2024), read 25 Sep 2026
- Engineering News, Newly minted electricity department outlines grid and renewables targets to lawmakers (23 Apr 2025), read 25 Sep 2026
- DMPR, Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate: Overview, read 25 Sep 2026
- DMPR, Mineral and Petroleum Regulations: Overview, read 25 Sep 2026
- DMPR, Contact Info and regional offices, read 25 Sep 2026
- Minister Gwede Mantashe, Budget Vote 34, Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (19 May 2026), read 25 Sep 2026
- Daily Maverick, SA mining cadastre national rollout kicked to 31 March 2027 (9 Jun 2026), read 25 Sep 2026
- Parliament of South Africa, statement on the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act (30 Oct 2024), read 25 Sep 2026
- Minerals Council South Africa, About the 2025 Mineral Resources Development Bill, read 25 Sep 2026
