By Aluwani Museisi, Country Chair, Shell Downstream South Africa

For too long, infrastructure discourse in South Africa—and across much of the African continent—has been dominated by power generation, grid capacity, and electrification.

Key Trends and Pressures Shaping South Africa’s Mining Sector

Insights of Sitsaba Bekwa and Lindokuhle Ntumba from Aon South Africa’s Mining Team.

Mining has powered South Africa’s economy since diamonds were discovered near Kimberley in 1867, sparking a wave of foreign investment and infrastructure growth. Today, the sector contributes 6% to GDP, generates nearly half of the country’s export value and supports over 460,000 direct jobs and countless indirect jobs. But the industry is in transition - balancing Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) pressures with the booming demand for critical minerals like copper, lithium and Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), essential for renewable energy and electric vehicles. With automation, digitalisation and cleaner energy solutions gaining pace, South Africa must position itself as a competitive, responsible mining leader on the global stage.

By Tas Mohamed, CEO, Railveyor Technologies Inc.

Traditional methods of moving material from pit to plant are being re-evaluated, as mines look for technologies that deliver high performance with greater flexibility – while reducing costs and carbon footprint.

Bakang Letshwiti, Head of Public Sector Coverage and Pulana Mokwele, Coverage Banker, Absa CIB, explain how public–private partnerships can be leveraged to overcome South Africa’s infrastructure-funding crisis and unpack the vital role banks play in making those collaborations effective.

By Drikus Senekal, Senior Ventilation Consultant at BBE Group

Health and safety are at the core of every responsible mining operation. While this was not always the case, the mining industry has evolved to make safety an integral part of its culture - not as a ticking box exercise, but as a deeply held ethos. Today, the principle that everyone goes home safe and healthy has transformed from a slogan into a shared responsibility.