South Australia (SA) is poised to take its place among the titans of world mining, says the state's Mineral Resources Minister Tom Koutsantonis.

The minister said five world-class discoveries had been made in SA in the past decade, including the huge increase in the size of the uranium and copper deposit at Olympic Dam in the state's north.

"South Australia is poised to take its place among the titans of mining, not just in Australia but in the world," Koutsantonis told a mining industry conference in Adelaide on Monday.

The minister said it was also important for South Australia to carefully manage the transition to a global mining giant to ensure the rewards were shared by all. "These are exciting times, but they are also challenging times for our state," he said.

"We need to manage our transition into a global mining giant in a way that benefits all South Australians.

Koutsantonis also used Monday's conference to announce the approval of mineral sands mining at Mindarie in the state's Murray Mallee.