Reef-controlled mineral deposits in southern China are divided into three types in this paper based on the relative importance of organic reefs in the ore-forming processes; they are: the direct type, indirect type, and passive type. The case histories of several typical deposits are discussed. In studying reef-controlled deposits, more attention should be paid to the function of synsedimentary faults in reef construction and mineralization and the importance of oil-gas palaeoreservoirs in reef rocks for the formation of sulfide deposits, in addition to analysing the favourable sedimentary facies of mineralization.