As South Africa’s mining sector faces increased global competition, technological change, and the demands of a just energy transition,  senior leaders from government, policy and skills development institutions will convene at the 2026 Mining Skills Lekgotla at Gallagher Estate, Midrand, from 26 to 27 February.

Convened by the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA), the Lekgotla is positioned as a strategic platform to strengthen alignment between skills development and sector transformation priorities, which also came under discussion during the recent Investing in African Mining Indaba.

Institutional Reflection and Strategic Planning

The programme will place strong emphasis on institutional reflection, including an assessment of policy effectiveness, governance, and skills delivery outcomes, alongside long-term planning in mining skills development. The Board Chairperson of the MQA, Dr Nomusa Zethu Qunta, will provide a strategic assessment of three decades of skills development in the mining sector. As mining competitiveness increasingly depends on human capital, this reflection will support national objectives on local value chain development and industrial resilience.

Focus will also be directed to the operational realities of implementing long-term skills strategies within the mining sector. The Chief Executive Officer of the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA), Dr Thabo Mashongoane, will address how qualifications development can better align with technological change, sustainability requirements and emerging sector priorities. Emphasis will be placed on strengthening collaboration between industry, traininginstitutions and education providers to improve workforce readiness and ensure the sector can adapt efficiently to regulatory requirements and labour market needs.

As automation, digitalisation and low-carbon technologies become increasingly embedded inmining operations, ensuring that curricula and qualifications are directly relevant toworkplace requirements is a strategic imperative. This policy focus reflects broader investment discussions, in which skills availability is recognised as a critical factor in maintaining sector competitiveness. Therefore, the integration of a national education and training policy with sector needs will be a central theme at the Lekgotla. This will be addressed by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Buti Manamela, who willoutline the requirement for post-school education and training systems to adapt to the evolving demands of the mining sector.

Recent industry engagements have emphasised the importance of regulatory certainty,exploration incentives and a critical minerals strategy in driving investment. The role of skills development in advancing the objectives of the national mining policy framework willtherefore be addressed by the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Mr Gwede Mantashe. Skills development is increasingly recognised as a parallel enabler, particularly in addressing imbalances between industry demand and workforce capability.

Expert-Led Discussions

Beyond keynote contributions, the Lekgotla will provide a platform for focused discussions onissues shaping the future of mining. Themes will include critical minerals and associated skills requirements, sector transformation, research partnerships, the just energytransition and green

hydrogen. Each session will be chaired by sector experts and knowledgeable leaders,ensuring that deliberations are informed by practical experience and strategic insight. These discussions are intended to support practical alignment between workforce planning and emerging sector priorities while reinforcing the MQA’s mandate to promote demand-led and future-oriented skills development.

The mining sector continues to experience structural change, driven by global demand for critical minerals, technological advancement and sustainability commitments. International forums have consistently highlighted the importance of downstream value addition and skills readiness if resource-rich countries are to secure long-term economic benefits. At the same time, changes in mining methods, energy use and digital systems are reshaping occupational profiles across the sector.

Against this backdrop, the 2026 Mining Skills Lekgotla is positioned as a critical moment for collaboration between government, skills authorities and industry stakeholders. By focusing on leadership alignment, policy coherence and implementation readiness, the Lekgotla aims to contribute to a responsive and resilient mining skills ecosystem capable of supporting sustainable growth and economic development.