The mineral is referred to as a mineral that you do not own and it is anticipated that you will not be able to obtain it in the future, which indicates its vital importance for use. The term critical minerals has spread widely, to the extent that it has become applicable to most of the minerals currently in use, which makes it lose its original meaning.
At the "Endaba 2025" conference in Cape Town, the need to define critical minerals in a new way was emphasized, to distinguish between vital matters relative to a particular country and general important issues. Despite the significance of a specific mineral in a particular country, it may not be of the same importance compared to other countries or other partners.
In conclusion, we need to think about strategies to secure these critical minerals and ensure their availability in the future, to guarantee the sustainability of the industries and economies reliant on them.