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SAIMM Business Breakfast Series Launch

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Created: Thursday, 11 June 2026 10:32

The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) recently launched its Business Breakfast Series, a strategic initiative designed to strengthen collaboration between industry, academia, and professional practice within the minerals sector. This series provides a dynamic platform for meaningful engagement with SAIMM's strategy and value proposition, while fostering knowledge exchange, networking, and industry collaboration. It reinforces SAIMM's role as a convening force that connects professionals across the mining and metallurgy value chain.

Purpose of the Business Breakfast Series

The sessions are designed to:

Engage stakeholders on SAIMM's strategic direction and value proposition.
Showcase the work and impact of SAIMM's key committees.
Create opportunities for dialogue, networking, and collaboration.
Strengthen alignment between industry needs, academia, and professional development.

Key Focus Areas Presented

The series highlights the contribution of SAIMM's structures in shaping industry capability and development, including:

MEESA – Industry and academia collaboration.
SAIMM Academy – Capability development and CPD.
Young Professionals Council (YPC) – Student and young professional engagement and mentoring.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – Professional registration and development framework.
Technical Programmes – Knowledge dissemination and networking.
Corporate Partners and Sponsorship Committee (CPSC) – Industry partnerships and sponsorship engagement.
Branch Chairpersons – Regional industry engagement.
Membership – Professional community of minerals industry practitioners.
Publications Committee – Industry and academic knowledge sharing.

About the Initiative

Through this series, SAIMM continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing professional excellence, building capability, and strengthening connections across the minerals industry. The Business Breakfasts serve as an important platform for aligning strategic priorities with the evolving needs of the sector.

Attendees benefited from direct engagement with industry leaders, exposure to SAIMM's strategic initiatives, and opportunities to contribute to shaping the future of mining and metallurgy in Southern Africa.

Celebrating Inclusive Excellence at SAIMM’s 2026 Re-Imagining Diversity and Inclusion Showcase

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Created: Wednesday, 20 May 2026 15:34

SAIMM President Gary Lane Digs Deep in SA Mining Magazine Nov/Dec Issue

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Created: Thursday, 27 November 2025 15:42

SAIMM President Gary Lane Digs Deep in SA Mining Magazine Nov/Dec Issue

We are excited share the November/December 2025 issue of SA Mining Magazine (pages 20–21) which features SAIMM President, Gary Lane. The feature highlights his perspective on where the minerals industry stands today and the changes he believes are vital for its sustainable future.

Gary brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to thoughtful, people-centric leadership a reflection of SAIMM’s ongoing focus on transforming and strengthening the mining and metallurgical sector in Southern Africa.

We invite members and industry stakeholders to read the full article and share their thoughts on the ideas presented.

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MineSafe 2025 Conference and Industry Awards - Advancing Health and Safety Excellence in the Mining Sector

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Created: Thursday, 27 November 2025 15:16

MineSafe 2025 Conference and Industry Awards - Advancing Health and Safety Excellence in the Mining Sector

The 2025 MineSafe Conference, held from 19–21 November 2025 at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg, once again united the mining sector in a shared commitment to reducing harm, improving workplace conditions and embedding a culture of safety across South Africa’s mining operations. This flagship event is which was hosted by SAIMM, the Association of Mine Managers of South Africa (AMMSA), the Mine Metallurgical Managers Association of South Africa (MMMA), the South African Colliery Managers Association (SACMA), the Association of Mine Safety Professionals of South Africa (AMSPSA), and the South African Institute of Rock Engineering. The conference brings together key stakeholders committed to fostering a culture of safety and continuous improvement. As one of the industry’s most important collaborative platforms, the conference brought together representatives from mining companies, organised labour, government, suppliers and health and safety specialists to reflect on progress made, address persistent challenges and explore innovative approaches to improving occupational health and safety performance.

The conference concluded with the MineSafe Industry Awards Day on 21 November 2025, where companies and operations were recognised for exceptional achievements in safety leadership, year-on-year improvement and best-in-class performance across multiple commodity categories. This year’s awards showcased the depth of commitment within the sector to continuous improvement, transparent reporting and the adoption of leading practices aimed at ensuring every employee returns home unharmed.

During the three-day programme, delegates participated in technical discussions and presentations focused on:

• The elimination of fatalities and serious injuries
• Human-centred systems and supervisory capability
• Advances in digitalisation, automation and engineering controls
• Strengthening regulatory alignment and collaborative governance
• Progress under the Khumbul’ekhaya strategy
• Industry-wide learning from successful interventions and high-potential incidents

Speakers included senior leaders from mining companies, organised labour, Mine Health and Safety Council representatives and health and safety specialists who emphasised the need for shared responsibility and a sustained commitment to behavioural and operational excellence.

Industry Awards Day

The MineSafe Industry Awards celebrated excellence across:

• Best Improved Safety Performance Year on Year (YOY)
• Best Safety Performance in Class - Total Injury Frequency Rate (TIFR)
• Significant Achievements (Fatal-Free Shifts)
• Leading Practice Adoption
• Mine Rescue Services Award
• Best Improvement Award 2025
• MineSafe Health Awards 2025 (Occupational Medicine & Occupational Hygiene)

The awards recognised outstanding performers from gold, platinum, coal, diamonds, base metals, chrome, and mineral processing operations. Each award category highlighted companies making measurable advances in reducing risk, elevating health standards and driving transformation in mine safety outcomes.

View the event gallery here: https://www.saimm.co.za/news/multimedia/image-gallery/149-news/multimedia/image-gallery/1326-minesafe-2025

*Kindly note images published are the property of SAIMM and may not be used or disseminated without the consent of the SAIMM.

FULL LIST OF 2025 AWARD WINNERS AND RUNNERS-UP

Significant Achievements

6 LARGE Shields - 3 For Underground Operations, 3 For Surface Operations

1. BEST IMPROVED SAFETY PERFORMANCE (YEAR-ON-YEAR)

2. BEST SAFETY PERFORMANCE IN CLASS (TIFR)

3. SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS (FATAL-FREE SHIFTS)

4. LEADING PRACTICE ADOPTION AWARDS

5. MINE RESCUE SERVICES AWARD

6. BEST IMPROVEMENT AWARD – 2025

MINESAFE HEALTH AWARDS 2025

SAIMM Annual Banquet and Awards Evening

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Created: Friday, 21 November 2025 09:27

Podcast: the critical alignment of South Africa’s SANS 10286 standard with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM)

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Created: Thursday, 24 July 2025 06:34

In this episode of The Crucible, host Adelle Coetzee speaks with renowned tailings expert Andrew Copeland about the critical alignment of South Africa’s SANS 10286 standard with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). This episode provides deep insights into the historical context, the urgent need for reform following past dam failures and the multi-stakeholder drafting process behind the revised standard.

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Podcast: Tackling Discrimination and Unconscious Bias in Hiring & Promotions in Southern Africa’s Mineral Sector

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Created: Thursday, 24 July 2025 06:34

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Podcast: Presidents In Conversation

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Created: Thursday, 24 July 2025 06:34

Podcast: Social licenses to operate (SLO) in the mining sector

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Created: Thursday, 19 June 2025 07:59

In this episode of The Crucible, host Kabelo Rathobei is joined by Alex Khumalo, Head of Social Performance at Minerals Council South Africa, for a deep dive into the often-misunderstood concept of the social license to operate (SLO) in the mining sector. Together, they explore why legal compliance alone is no longer enough and how mining companies must shift their focus from box-ticking exercises to building genuine, long-term partnerships with host communities. Alex discusses the importance of going beyond compliance, the role of government and policy and why collaboration and economic diversification are key to sustainable development. Whether you're in mining, policy or community engagement, this conversation offers valuable insight into the evolving expectations of the mining industry in South Africa.

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Presidential Address 2025: Beyond Effort-Driven Operations: Building People-Centric Operating Models for Mining's Future

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Created: Wednesday, 18 June 2025 09:46

The opportunity to serve as President of the prestigious Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) was made possible because of an Anglo American scholarship 39 years ago—a pivotal moment that set me on a career path spanning various roles and startup ventures in the mining industry.

Over the past decade, I have been privileged to broaden my experience by consulting across diverse industries globally. This exposure revealed something profound: what I had previously considered mining-specific challenges are, in fact, universal across many sectors.