It was 30 years ago that the Mines and Works Act lifted the ban on women working underground on SA mines. It’s safe to say that one would have been hard-pressed to find a woman employed in any capacity on an SA mine in 1996 when the law was passed – let alone a pregnant woman.

How that picture has changed… the industry has made a concerted effort – especially through the Minerals Council South Africa’s Women in Mining (WiM) initiative – to adopt more inclusive policies aimed at women.

For example, in the Northern Cape, Anglo American’s Kumba Iron Ore recently launched a range of personal protective equipment (PPE) for expectant mothers. Moms-to-be are reassigned to work in non-hazardous areas of the mine, and Pranill Ramchander, executive head of corporate affairs at Kumba, believes the PPE initiative ‘shifts the needle in our industry by recognising that motherhood is a vital and supported part’ of the mining workforce’s lives.

The Kumba WiM committee led the initiative to provide the PPE, which includes custom-designed, safety-compliant maternity shirts with Velcro fastenings and expandable maternity jeans. The mine has also launched safe, hygienic spaces for breastfeeding mothers returning from maternity leave.

‘We’re moving beyond basic legislative compliance to create an environment where women can bring their whole selves to work,’ says Ramchander. He believes that when employees feel a sense of belonging, security and acceptance, they perform at their best.

While the mining industry has some way to go to reach its goal of 40% female representation in the workforce, its efforts to attract more women to the field are showing success, particularly since the launch of WiM in 2020.

According to the Commission for Employment Equity’s Annual Report, women’s representation in the industry was above 20% in 2024, up almost 10 percentage points since 2020. The report shows that in 2024, women represented 21% of top management, 25% of senior management and 30% of professionally qualified and mid-management jobs.

Speaking at a WiM breakfast at last year’s African Mining Indaba, Kirthanya Pillay, group executive of corporate development and strategy at Implats, pointed out that while mine work is ‘difficult […] mentally and physically’, advances in technology such as hydro-powered equipment are levelling ‘the playing field when it comes to handling heavy machinery’.

‘Remote work, robotics, automation – these are low-hanging fruit that can improve conditions and bring more women into the workforce,’ she said.

Mines are being made safer for women not only through new technology.

As of 2024, WiM has taken the ‘critical step’ of positioning gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as a safety and operational priority for the council.

‘Mining companies are now required to submit annual GBVF plans aligned to the National Strategic Plan on GBVF,’ says Allan Seccombe, the Minerals Council’s head of communications. ‘In 2025, the first year of reporting, at least 4% of operations responded – all Minerals Council members. While early, this signals growing accountability in an area that is still not yet regulated as a Mandatory Code of Practice.’

The inclusion of GBVF case reduction as a WiM priority also firmly links GBVF to the council’s Zero Harm agenda.

Seccombe says WiM’s introduction of a dashboard has seen increased reporting of GBVF incidents, ‘alongside national interventions such as support for Thuthuzela Care Centres, recognising the link between community and workplace safety’.

‘Working in a tripartite partnership with the DMPR [Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources], MHSC [Mine Health and Safety Council] and organised labour, a national baseline study on GBVF in mining is planned for 2026 to strengthen data-driven action,’ he says.

It’s not only more women that the industry is trying to attract.

Mining is facing something of a demographics cliff – a 2025 OECD report indicates that more than 72% of the mining workforce in OECD countries is older than 35… and they’re not getting any younger.

Saddled with an infamous reputation of being dark, dirty and dangerous, the industry has a mountain to climb – or a mining dump, at the very least.

An oft-quoted McKinsey survey from 2023 found that the overwhelming majority (70%) of job-seeking respondents aged 15–30 ‘definitely wouldn’t’ or ‘probably wouldn’t’ consider working in the mining industry.

It is not surprising, therefore, that despite its century-long heritage, SA’s mining industry faces significant skills shortages.

‘The most pressing gaps include technical and engineering roles, digital competencies and leadership skills. There is a particular need for mining engineers, geologists, mineral processing specialists, data analysts and  professionals skilled in robotics and automation,’ says Seccombe.

‘Automation, digitalisation and the adoption of new mining technologies are profoundly transforming the skills landscape in the South African mining sector. As traditional manual and labour-intensive roles become increasingly automated, there is a growing demand for workers with advanced technical skills in areas such as robotics, data analytics, artificial intelligence and remote equipment operation,’ he says.

According to the MCSA, mining companies invested more than R5 billion in 2024 in training their employees and community members, particularly the youth, to improve general skill levels and to secure jobs within the industry now and in the future when mining has ceased.

In the five years to end 2025, the industry spent more than R1 billion on providing higher education bursaries with a focus on mine engineering, which is a scarce skill, as well as chemical, electrical and electro-mechanical engineering. According to a survey by the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA), artisanal training is also a key area of focus.

In 2024 alone, the industry provided more than 12 800 bursaries and nearly 10 800 short courses, designed to equip young people with skills in a time-efficient manner. In the same year, 36 520 youth and 3 300 schoolchildren received training, courtesy of the mining industry.

For example, Harmony Gold, in partnership with the Matjhabeng municipality in the Free State and the Unemployment Youth Forum of South Africa, introduced an initiative to help equip youngsters in its host communities for the world of work. Over the past five years the group has provided cadetship opportunities in core mining skills training to 747 youth, absorbing 87% of them into permanent positions.

‘Digitalisation is also driving the need for knowledge in information technology, cybersecurity and the ability to interpret and act on real-time data,’ says Seccombe. These new technologies mean the next generation of mining employees must be ‘adaptable, capable of continuous learning and comfortable working in a highly digital and interconnected environment’, he says.

And that next generation wants its voice to be heard.

‘The sector is learning to trust fresh perspectives, but we must continue building inclusive environments that actively invite young professionals and listen to them,’ 26-year-old Nomvula Mahlangu told a panel at the 2025 Mining Indaba where the next generation of miners took to the stage to share their vision of the future industry.

Mahlangu, who is a mining engineer-in-training, is also part of the indaba’s Influencer Campaign, an initiative the organisers say is ‘designed to amplify authentic voices shaping the future of mining in Africa’; to not just speak about young people, but also to them.

‘There is a visible rise in young professionals entering the mining industry – from technical roles to policy and ESG. However, we haven’t reached a critical mass yet,’ says Mahlangu. ‘We need stronger pipelines for young talent, mentorship programmes and youth involvement in innovation hubs and industry strategy.’

By Robyn Leary
Image: iStock