It is an honour for the President of the Institute to write the President’s Corner note for the Journal, especially so when it is the first one after inauguration as President. It was indeed a great pleasure to present the story of research and development in the mining industry in South Africa in my Presidential Address at the AGM, and…

Being the President of a professional organization like the SAIMM can be quite demanding. However, it’s not always stressful because there are quite a few pleasures and privileges that accompany the job. One of the significant pleasures is the interaction with members at all the numerous events that are organized by the Institute. Here you get to talk and listen…

A number of studies have confirmed that there is a positive relationship between diversity and business performance, and that diversity in leadership roles is what tends to define the success of a business. This is because knowledge creation and application is enriched by a variety of skills, experience, and cultural diversity. The more diverse a team, the more perspectives, the…

On behalf of the South African Underground Coal Gasification Association (SAUCGA) I am delighted to present papers in this edition of the SAIMM Journal. The UCG edition showcases work by various researchers, through their respective institutions, highlighting the active and diverse research areas of importance to the SAIMM readership and to South Africa as a whole. The research work also…

This edition of the Journal is dedicated to the Society of Mining Professors 6th Regional Conference 2018, which was held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 12 to 14 March. This Conference was hosted by Mining Engineering Education South Africa (MEESA) and the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM). MEESA is comprised of the School of Mining Engineering at…

Global Mining Guidelines Group’s (GMG) Autonomous Mining Working Group is creating a new guideline to clarify functional safety requirements for autonomous equipment.The mining industry is embracing automation, but mobile automation technologies are still in the early stages of technology development. As a result, there lacks clear guidance and industry alignment on requirements for managing functional safety. When it comes to…

Press Release Global Mining Guidelines Group (GMG) has launched a new Artificial Intelligence Working Group to help demystify AI and enable the mining industry to harness its many valuable applications.GMG’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Working Group launching today (November 8) with a workshop hosted by IBM in Perth, Australia. It is a culmination of several brainstorming and breakout sessions held at…