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SAIMM is proud to partner with Anglo American Platinum, Implats, Sibanye Stillwater and SRK Consulting with the goal of establishing and entrenching not only strategic relationships, but useful and uplifting networks of people and professionals.
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The leadership of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, an independent professional institute of international standing for over 130 years, notes with sadness the gravity of the human tragedy that occurred at Stilfontein in the North West Province of South Africa over the last few weeks. The death of at least seventy-eight miners brings to light the need for collaborative efforts to address social, criminal, and legal challenges that arise as a result of progressive mine closures and the loss of mining jobs and the concomitant socio-economic distress that this causes in an already stressed South African economic climate. While there are many dimensions to the illegal mining conundrum, this tragic incident has been precipitated by progressive minerals industry contraction, high levels of unemployment and poverty, and exacerbated by organised crime, it must nevertheless be seen and responded to primarily as a humanitarian crisis of significant proportion.
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We are pleased to invite you to the 130th Anniversary Banquet of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), a momentous occasion to celebrate the rich legacy and enduring impact of the SAIMM. This prestigious event will honour our history, recognise our achievements, and connect minerals industry professionals on the common vision of a reimagined minerals industry.
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Sibanye Stillwater, a multinational mine company, proved its dedication to health and safety by recently scooping six industry health and safety awards at the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, SAIMM MineSafe2024 conference.
The conference covered a range of critical topics, including safety, health, and environmental issues within the mining industry, with a focus on the well-being of employees, contractors, and local communities. It emphasised the importance of reducing the environmental impact of mining and metallurgical processes.
September 20th, 2024
By Phillipa Burmeister, partner at SRK Consulting, South Africa
Like many life-changing decisions, mine was taken on a Tuesday with only the most cursory consideration and little understanding of how it would affect my career. Rhodes University was offering a new subject, Environmental Science. To an idealistic 18-year-old it seemed interesting, new and shiny and possibly something that might be useful in the future. I couldn’t be more grateful for a seemingly innocuous decision.
October 17th, 2024
By Leigh McMaster, principal specialist: Safety and Behaviour at the Minerals Council South Africa
Mining has played a crucial role in South Africa’s economic development and history, shaping both the nation’s economy and its social landscape. Mining in the country dates back to the early inhabitants who extracted minerals for tools and ornaments. However, modern mining began in the 19th century with the discovery of diamonds in Kimberley (1867) and gold on the Witwatersrand (1886). The gold rush led to rapid urbanisation and the establishment of Johannesburg, transforming it into a major economic hub. The influx of workers also spurred the development of infrastructure and services.
An open conversation on embracing challenges and thoughtful leadership.
Listen in on this captivating conversation between Prelisha Singh, Mark Munroe, and Nomsa Mbere who discuss their experiences in leadership, pitching the appropriate leadership relationship, and the symbiotic nature of leadership roles.
Their conversation spotlights the importance of being open to learning, adapting one's leadership style to their environment, and addressing unconscious bias on the basis of gender.
The global mining industry has experienced unprecedented challenges within the last few years. Some, if not most of the challenges affecting the industry are not new, however, the complexity of the prevailing global economic and geopolitical environments makes their navigation more challenging. Global disruptions such as capital scarcity, volatile commodity prices, climate change, resource and reserve depletion, cybersecurity and technological…
SEE MOREOver the past few weeks, I have asked a number of my colleagues in the mining industry about their sentiments on the current and future status of the mining industry in South Africa and the region. Although this exploratory exercise was not based on any specific scientific design, the responses were extremely diverse, ranging from extreme pessimism and despondency to…
SEE MOREThe 17th edition of the International Ferroalloys Congress (INFACON XVII), jointly organized and hosted by the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), Chinese Society for Metals, and the China Ferroalloy Industry Association, took place from 18 to 22 September 2024 in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. The INFACON series, often dubbed the ‘Olympics of Ferroalloy Research’, is held once…
SEE MOREThis issue focuses on mine seismology, a discipline that has its roots in the South African mining industry. Gold was discovered near present-day Johannesburg in 1886. Mining related seismicity was first encountered in the early 1900s, when extensive stopes, supported solely by small reef pillars, reached depths of several hundred metres. In 1908, -the Government Mining Engineer appointed a committee…
SEE MOREOne of the more difficult challenges facing mining companies is the complex issue of local community engagement and partnership. Often large amounts of financial capital are invested in social projects with outcomes, which can be, to say the least, disappointing and unsustainable. On occasion the expenditure of resources and effort can result in community fragmentation, which compounds the problem. Low…
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