The Metal Merchants Association was registered as an employer’s association in 1942 during WWII when South Africa introduced the Strategic Metals Act which severely limited the movement of secondary metal for recycling.
In 1999 the association changed its name to Metal Recyclers Association of South Africa (MRA) to accurately depict its involvement in the metal recycling industry. The constitution was amended and registered with the Department of Labour. The association adopted a code of conduct that commits its members to the highest degree of business ethics.

Today the MRA has a diverse membership base made up of organisations that are engaged in the collection and processing of more than 80% of all scrap metal in South Africa for beneficiation by downstream industry.