How can the mining industry continue to provide the materials that are essential to our lives while also becoming more people- and planet-centred? The Minerals to Metals Initiative at the University of Cape Town (UCT) aims to answer this question through research, education and engagement that unites technical expertise with a wide-ranging interdisciplinary approach.
Whilst many stories coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent years have focussed on the political issues that country has faced, many are now seeing that the case for investing in the country is stronger than ever. The DRC contains significant supplies of a wide range of mineral resources, and is currently a major supplier of diamonds, copper, cobalt, gold, tantalum and tin. In advance of the mining week event in the DRC in June, Elisee Isheloke takes a close look at the investment case for the DRC.
As the 25th Mining Indaba comes to the end, it’s time for reflection on what has been a busy week of business, networking and engagement on mining issues across the borders. In the mining industry we know that different countries have different types of natural resource. At the moment a lot of attention is focussed naturally enough on how mining can supply resources to support the future of electronics, battery metals and digital technology during the fourth industrial revolution.
The inaugural LEAD programme (Leaders in Extractives and African Development), spearheaded by UCT, promises to equip a new generation of African mining professionals with skills needed to become leaders in the responsible extraction of minerals in Africa.
This Working Paper is the result of a collaborative effort between the Minerals to Metals and Mineral Law in Africa Initiatives of the University of Cape Town and the Sustainable Development group in AngloGold Ashanti Limited. It has been developed through learnings arising from AngloGold Ashanti’s experiences in the pursuit of embedding the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its business strategy, along with the exploration of ideas and practices elsewhere.
South Africa’s economy was built on the mining industry. But the sector has been in decline for decades. Mining contributed R312 billion, or 6.8%, to South Africa’s GDP and 464 667 direct jobs in 2017, a far cry from the 21% contribution to GDP in the 1970’s.
Did you know that 93% of mining company CEOs think tha sustainability is important for their organisation's development, but are unsure of how to embed this idea into their organisation.
Many people argue that the mining industry cannot be sustainable, says master’s student Nontobeko Gule.
“I think this is probably because once you start mining a mineral resource you deplete it and cannot replenish it,” she says. But “sustainable mining” doesn’t have to be an oxymoron.
Sustainability is key to the survival of the mining sector worldwide. But is green mining a pipe dream, or can the industry shift into a transformed and more sustainable paradigm? These questions absorbed participants during a recent one-day interactive workshop at UCT, an event hosted by the UCT and AngloGold Ashanti partnership and coordinated by UCT’s Minerals to Metals Initiative with Mineral Law in Africa.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has sponsored a project dedicated to education for sustainable development in natural mineral resources management. The selected students’ research has a focus on gender equity.
The African Development Bank, headquartered in Abidjan, has made a R 4,2 million grant from its Middle Income Country Technical Assistant fund to the South African government, for a UCT-led operation to develop skills and knowledge on the tricky questions of mining and sustainable development. The aim is to help turn the minerals extraction and beneficiation industries into a force for sustainable development in the country, and ultimately on the continent.