De Beers Group: Empowering women and pursuing gender parity in mining

De Beers Group is deeply committed to developing women in the mining industry and achieving gender parity. The company prioritises initiatives that promote equal opportunities, support women’s professional growth and create a diverse and inclusive work environment. Through partnerships, programmes and targeted actions, De Beers Group aims to empower women, recognise their contributions and foster gender diversity within their organisation and the mining sector as a whole. Their steadfast commitment drives their efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable industry for women in mining.

Violet Molala is the first female section manager for top of mine at Venetia Underground. Her previous role as a miner overseer and experience in leading large shaft sinking projects contributed to her success. Molala’s approach involves planning and executing the company’s goals, driven by the motivation to see the organisation grow and achieve personal success.

Lerato Radebe has been the vessel manager for the mV Coral Sea since 2011. She joined De Beers in 2005 as a metallurgist and played a pivotal role in successfully transitioning the Coral Sea from sampling to a fully operational mining vessel. Lerato emphasises the importance of embracing equity and providing women of all races with opportunities to contribute diverse perspectives to the future of the business.

Sherene Salmon works as an electrical engineer at De Beers Marine. She is part of a dynamic team providing engineering support to Debmarine Namibia’s offshore mining vessels. Salmon is committed to lifelong learning and seizing opportunities. She takes pride in breaking barriers and honouring the women who have paved the way, while also inspiring future generations of women.

Razia Adam, a research scientist at Ignite SA, is passionate about science and engineering. She believes women bring a unique perspective and skill set to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and engineering, which have historically been male-dominated fields. Adam actively promotes awareness of opportunities within STEM and engineering for students from underprivileged universities.