Identifying strategic gaps and opportunities in sustainable development initiatives within the South African mining industry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/Abstract
This paper identifies the strategic gaps and opportunities for the South African mining industry’s contribution towards the advancement of sustainable development (SD). Mineral Resources companies are confronted by a range of complex social performance challenges which largely manifest in sporadic community and labour unrest which undermine the sustainability and profitability of these companies. Strategic supply chain management, Strategic long-term planning and Sustainability planning are identified as strategic gaps and opportunities, that can contribute towards the sustainability of mining companies, if effectively integrated and implemented as SD enablers. Contributing towards SD by the South African mining industry is not merely a voluntary requirement on the industry but a legal requirement in terms of the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act No. 28 of 2002 (MPRDA). The MPRDA is legislation that is aimed at advancing socio-economic development both in communities that host mining operations and in labour sending areas to the South African mining industry. In contributing towards the advancement of SD in mining host communities, not only will mining companies be fulfilling a legal requirement in terms of the MPRDA, but they will also be preventing negative social and economic impacts in those communities.Downloads
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Copyright (c) 2026 Tinyiko Collins Maswanganyi, Gordon Smith, Richard Minnitt
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