Large-scale, socioeconomic development initiative driver The Impact Catalyst was launched in Mpumalanga on November 21 to promote initiatives designed to leverage collaboration to deliver a collective, cross-sectoral impact.

The Impact Catalyst – founded by Anglo American, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Exxaro and World Vision South Africa – has already been launched in Limpopo and the Northern Cape.

The Impact Catalyst’s work is focussed on the strategic areas of economic development that transform simple, low-income economies into modern industrial economies, as well as on the promotion of health, with initiatives aimed at increasing people’s access and control over health factors.

Education is another strategic focus area for the Impact Catalyst, and in this instance, the organisation places emphasis on building educational capabilities and enlarging available opportunities and choices.

In terms of social development, the organisation will look towards improving a regional sense of autonomy and self-confidence for local citizens as a way to bring people out of poverty.

The Impact Catalyst will also drive environmental sustainability initiatives.

More specifically in Mpumalanga, The Impact Catalyst CEO Charl Harding says that, with South Africa’s carbon-reduction ambitions and the related just energy transition (JET) that recently got underway in the province, the envisaged socio-economic impacts resulting will require multipronged socio-economic diversification.

The JET, he says, puts people, communities and small, medium-sized and microenterprises at the centre of the economic transformation objective of such an endeavour, which requires the private and public sectors to work together, as well as intimately with communities to create decent work opportunities as the energy transition unfolds.

However, Harding says that, for the JET to be successful, dialogue is needed between all impacted groups to increase the socioeconomic opportunities and reduce or mitigate any associated challenges.

Going forward, The Impact Catalyst will conduct visioning workshops for its endeavours in Mpumalanga to consider ways society in the province can be empowered and developed, taking into account the JET, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and keeping people healthy.

Some of the main initiatives to be launched by The Impact Catalyst in Mpumalanga include those in agriculture to boost job creation in the sector, ensure food security and foster sustainable communities.

Enterprise and supplier development initiatives will also be launched to build circular economy prospects and the waste industry, focussing on tyre re-purposing and recycling, coal ash beneficiation and solid waste recycling.

In manufacturing, The Impact Catalyst will launch initiatives to drive efforts around making personal protective equipment, steel and other metals manufacturing.

Business incubators and industrial parks are also part of The Impact Catalyst initiatives to be launched.

Other areas of focus include the information and communication technology sector, community-oriented primary healthcare, green corridors and environmental stewardship, municipal capability and partnerships, the use of mine water in agriculture and solar panel component beneficiation.