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 identify its involvement in metal recycling. The constitution was amended and registered with the Department of Labour and the association adopted a code of conduct which commits its members to the highest degree of business ethics.