The mining research, development, and innovation (RD&I) landscape in South Africa has become increasingly muted over the years, with inadequate capacity expected to constrain knowledge production and innovation unless effectively addressed, according to the National Development Plan (Vision 2030).

Therefore, education, training and innovation were identified as being at the centre of South Africa’s long-term development, and the Mandela Mining Precinct (MMP) was established to assist in addressing this, primarily focusing on “quick wins” while developing a longer-term strategy.

RD&I at the MMP focuses mainly on the underground gold and platinum sectors, and its work is aligned to industry needs in delivering implementable solutions through a network of R&D collaborators and with a focus on the higher technology readiness levels of research.

The MMP’s key focus is facilitating the implementation of the South African Mining Extraction Research, Development & Innovation (SAMERDI) strategy, which aims to “maximise the returns of South Africa’s mineral wealth through collaborative, sustainable research, development, innovation and implementation of mining technologies in a socially, environmentally and financially responsible manner that is rooted in the wellbeing of local communities and the national economy”.

The SAMERDI vision is set to be achieved through focusing on relevant research in the following areas with a strong focus on Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) matters:

The Longevity of Current Mines (LoCM)

Mechanized Mining Systems (MMS)

Advanced Orebody Knowledge (AOK)

Real-time Information Management Systems (RTIMS) and

The Successful Application of Technologies Centred Around People (SATCAP).

To assist with the process of developing and enhancing mining research capacity and capability, MMP  has established several SAMERDI Research Centres (SRCs), covering each of the research programmes, at participating universities, namely: University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), University of Pretoria (UP), University of Johannesburg (UJ), and the University of the Free State (UFS),  where young researchers will participate and be developed through structured programmes relating to Mining.

HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

In addition to these SRCs, the MMP also has an in-house internship programme which provides interns with on-the-job training to ensure that they gain both skills and competences, as well as more generic skills and experience by being active members of these programmes. The exposure to work situations gives them much needed work experience that can be added to their CVs and general marketability.  It is quite critical for these newly-skilled interns to find job opportunities within the mining fraternity to continue their capacity development.

MMP’s most recent cohort of interns are currently completing their internship programmes.  The current programme includes Maseda Mphaphuli, who has an MSc in Geology from the University of Johannesburg and specializes in a wide range of fields ranging from economic geology and research to geophysics and geographic information systems. Mphaphuli believes her strong presence of mind and good problem-solving skills allow her to stay calm in stressful situations so that she can reassess the situation before finding a solution.

Mphaphuli, supported by her MMP mentor, is confident that she understands the different technologies available to assist geologists in underground mines such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to see ahead of the mining face.  

Dolly Mathivha is another MMP intern, and she holds a BSc Honours degree in Geology from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits).

Mathivha says her skills in geology and rock engineering allow her to assist deep narrow reef mines manage their seismicity better in order to achieve zero harm.

“I would like to use my knowledge of these two subjects to develop better monitoring technologies for seismic hazards and better preventative measures to combat seismic hazards,” she comments.

Fellow Wits alumni Shadrack Makamu and Nhlanhla Tsungo both hold BSc Honours degrees in mining engineering. Makamu, who specializes as a mechanised mining systems junior researcher, says the MMP’s internship programme has equipped him with “the necessary skills through research, projects and training to improve the mining industry”.

Through research and the SATCAP training programme, Makamu says the importance of digitalisation was highlighted in terms of how the implementation of virtual reality and augmented reality can improve both safety and productivity of the mining industry.

Tsungo, who is also involved in the mechanised mining systems field, believes that skills such as “effective collaboration, teamwork, self-motivation, willingness to learn, working under pressure and other experience and skills”, acquired as a mining research intern at the MMP, and practical exposure in the mining industry, will aid them to “propose effective and innovative approaches when extracting the minerals of economic value whilst ensuring safety and thus achieving production targets”.

Onismus Mamaila, meanwhile, who graduated from the University of Limpopo with a BSc in Geology (2017 – 2019) and BSc Honours in Mining Geology (2020 – 2021), says that patience and adaptability skills enable him to “thrive in any situation” where it is required that his knowledge and skills be applied to solve a problem.

Sagwadi Maswanganyi, who specialised in the Internet-of-Things space and who holds a BSc in Information Technology from North-West University, says that his skills can “improve the mining industry by making it easy for people underground and people at the surface to communicate through real-time data access, making sure of their safety in terms of incident report systems, temperature sensors and vehicle tracking systems”.

Lastly, Mafiwa Ramalebana, who graduated from both Monash University and the University of Johannesburg, believes that communication and people skills are some of the most important skills one can acquire.

“Every industry needs such a skill set no matter how technical it is because everything we manufacture, create and research about is for human consumption,” she says.

All the MMP interns are confident that their skills can improve the mining industry by humanising the industry more and ensuring that a clear message is conveyed to the consumers, stakeholders, mining communities and the greater public. They are completing their internship programmes in November, after which they will be available for employment.

https://mandelaminingprecinct.org.za/

enquiries@mandelaminingprecinct.org.za