Settlement likely by year-end as parties in silicosis case pursue out-of-court option

Mining companies facing a class action suit from mineworkers who developed silicosis on South Africa's gold mines, are anticipated to reach an out of court settlement before the close of the year.... 

‘Decolonising’ South Africa’s mining history

If there is one thing South African mining historians, myself included, have been guilty of, it is the tendency to focus on, and perpetuate, the 'colonial-esque' history of the industry. The common... 

Political risk, poor infrastructure and lack of geodata stymying African exploration

It is an age old adage that, when the mining industry enters a slump, exploration budgets, particularly those designated for greenfield activities, are the first to be curtailed. This has certainly... 

Political risk, poor infrastructure and lack of geodata stymying African exploration

It is an age old adage that when the mining industry enters a slump exploration budgets, particularly those designated for greenfield activities, are the first to be curtailed. This has certainly... 

Brief history of 15th ICG, the first to be hosted in Africa

The City of Cape Town is set to host the thirty-fifth International Geological Congress, the most prestigious of geoscientific conferences held every four years, between August 27 and September 4.... 

Policy uncertainty, DMR leadership ‘challenges’, weak prices bode ill for mining sector in 2016

Over the last few years, South Africa’s mining industry has staggered into the new year increasingly the worse for wear, having been ravaged by a myriad of challenges over the course of the... 

Policy uncertainty, DMR leadership ‘challenges’, weak prices bode ill for mining sector in 2016

Over the last few years, South Africa’s mining industry has staggered into the new year increasingly the worse for wear having been ravaged by a myriad of challenges over the course of 2015 not... 

DRDGold ploughs R600m into enviro management programme

In the comparatively dry climate of the South African Highveld, wind-borne dust and sand have always been a significant irritation, especially to residents of the industrial and mining centres of... 

Mining-school enrolment still high despite industry’s contraction

The South African mining industry has, since the advent of the industrial economy, always been the main employment mecca. The industry has not only provided jobs for millions of workers, but has... 

Mining-school enrolment still high despite industry’s contraction

The South African mining industry has, since the advent of the industrial economy, always been the main employment mecca. Not only has the industry provided jobs for millions of workers, it has... 

As beneficiation debate rages, experts insist focus must be on niche sectors, upstream manufacturing

The contentious debate surrounding South Africa’s beneficiation strategy and how best it should be undertaken has been placed under the glare of the spotlight again and has served to intensify... 

As beneficiation debate rages, experts insist focus must be on niche sectors, upstream manufacturing

The contentious debate surrounding South Africa’s beneficiation strategy and how best it should be undertaken has been placed under the glare of the spotlight again and has served to intensify... 

Australian company starts trial reef residue mining in Pilgrim’s Rest

Junior gold miner Stonewall Mining, a wholly owned subsidiary of ASX-listed Stonewall Resources, has started bulk trial mining at its historic Beta mine, in Pilgrim’s Rest, Mpumulanaga. This forms... 

Mining sector poised for a bumpy 2015 as legislative uncertainty, other challenges linger

South Africa’s long-embattled mining sector has slumped into the new year a little worse for wear, having been ravaged by an array of challenges during 2014, not least of which were the longest... 

Mining sector poised for a bumpy 2015 as legislative uncertainty, other challenges linger

The Chamber of Mines (CoM) is hopeful that labour stability will be achieved this year, as progress is being made in terms of stakeholder engagement, CoM president Mike Teke tells Mining Weekly. He... 

Waning investor confidence, weak commodity prices among factors limiting growth of African mining sector

Along with the Arctic, sub-Saharan Africa remains the most underexplored and highly prospective mineralised region on earth. However, despite its ‘open for business’ approach and myriad investment... 

Waning investor confidence, weak commodity prices among factors limiting growth of African mining sector

Along with the Arctic, sub-Saharan Africa remains the most underexplored and highly prospective mineralised region on earth. However, despite its ‘open-for-business’ approach and myriad investment... 

Low kimberlite discovery rate seen sparking diamond production crisis by turn of decade

The stability of the diamond sector has always been a slave to the fine balance between supply and demand. Over the last century, the industry has had to contend with various crises of oversupply,... 

Low kimberlite discovery rate seen sparking diamond production crisis by turn of decade

The stability of the diamond sector has always been a slave to the fine balance between supply and demand. Over the last century, however, the industry has dealt with various crises of oversupply,... 

Merensky’s discovery of platinum

In the grand scheme of things, a ninetieth anniversary of a mineral discovery should not be worth much fanfare. However, given the fact that South Africa’s commercial mining sector is relatively... 

Merensky – the prisoner of war

Ninety years ago, almost to the day, South Africa’s pre-eminent geologist, Dr Hans Merensky, made one of the most important and phenomenal mineral discoveries anywhere in the world when he... 

South Africa’s WWI golden bullets

The centennial commemoration of the outbreak of the First World War on August, 4, the date that Great Britain officially declared war on a belligerent Germany, was a significant occasion that was... 

AngloGold and Africa’s goldsmithing heritage

Many kudos must be given to Johannesburg-based gold miner AngloGold Ashanti for its concerted efforts to preserve and promote the cultural and artistic heritage of African goldsmithing design and... 

Rhodes memorial debate

From time to time, a debate flares up among the University of Cape Town’s student body about whether or not the statue of pioneering mining magnate and British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes should... 

Constrained SA mining sector forcing contractors to seek African opps

South Africa’s phenomenal minerals revolution, which has its roots in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, facilitated not only the establishment and growth of the largest and most... 

Constrained SA mining sector forcing contractors to seek opportunities in other parts of Africa

South Africa’s phenomenal mineral revolution, which has its roots in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, facilitated not only the establishment and growth of the largest and most... 

Mining capital that infiltrated the Cape wine industry

It is inevitable that in an economy that has been so completely dominated by the extraction of mineral resources that mining capital would have, at some stage or another, infiltrated other sectors.... 

Wine estate celebrates Cape’s tin mining heritage

The vineyard-dominated landscape between Cape Town’s northern suburbs and the wine-producing town of Stellenbosch, particularly along the R102 and M12 routes, is both beautiful and tranquil and it... 

Wining and mining in the early Cape Colony

One thing you would not associate with mining is the craft of winemaking. However, in a country that has been so completely dominated by that extractive industry, it is not entirely surprising that... 

Industry leaders reflect on evolution of SA's mining industry over last two decades

The mining industry has, from a historical perspective, played an inherently complex and contradictory role within South Africa’s sociopolitical economy. While the industry has, for more than a... 

Industry leaders reflect on evolution of SA’s mining industry over last two decades

The mining industry has, from a historical perspective, played an inherently complex and contradictory role within South Africa’s sociopolitical economy. While the industry has, for more than a... 

Ancient site under threat from gold-hungry miner

A few weeks ago, the highly controversial story that the government of Georgia hds given Russian-backed Rich Metals Group (RMG) approval to continue its mining project at a site believed to host... 

Initiatives under way to improve greenfield exploration in SA

Four of South Africa’s greatest mineral deposits, namely the diamond fields of the Northern Cape, the Witwatersrand basin, the Witbank-Middelburg coalfield and the Bushveld Igneous Complex, all of... 

Initiatives under way to improve greenfield exploration in SA

Four of South Africa’s greatest mineral deposits, namely the diamond fields of the Northern Cape, the Witwatersrand Basin, the Witbank-Middelburg coal field and the Bushveld Igneous Complex, all of... 

SA’s little-known defunct manganese mine

The century-old Hout Bay manganese mine Manganese is a commodity that barely features in the popular historical narrative of South Africa’s mining industry. This is slightly odd, considering that... 

There’s gold in them thar mountains

Capetonians have a tendency to condescendingly regard mining as a dirty and dangerous, although vaguely necessary, activity that is pursued somewhere in the northern reaches of South Africa. Much... 

The Karoo’s mini gold bonanza

It is generally accepted in the historical mining narrative that South Africa’s phenomenal era of gold discovery, rushes and mining started around 1873, when extensive and payable quantities of... 

'Pilgrim's Protector' urges heritage compliance

For the last 16 months, a shroud of uncertainty veiled the business community of Pilgrims Rest, as it has waited with bated breath for the outcome of the Public Protector’s investigation into... 

Experts weigh in on the mining industry’s 2014 outlook

South Africa’s once mighty and economy-dominating mining industry is, at present, in dire straits. It is an industry – and this is particularly true of its gold and platinum sectors – that is... 

Mandela and his brief mining career

In the aftermath of the passing of former President Nelson Mandela last month, the world has mourned and reflected, quite rightly, on the enormous contribution he made in liberating South Africa...