In line with the country’s Youth Month celebrations, and recognising the important role South Africa’s youth play in driving economic development - especially in the transition of our mining industry to Industry 4.0 - the second day of the Mandela Mining Precinct’s symposium on 22 June 2021, is targeted at our country’s youth. 

The second day is aimed at inspiring a career in mining, which will open with a keynote address by Waseem Carrim, CEO National Youth Development Agency. 

The first plenary speaker is The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)’s Bongi Ntsoelengoe. Bongi is a young and energetic executive manager responsible for Future Production: Mining at the CSIR. Having recently joined the CSIR from Anglo-American plc, Bongi will share with the young audience her experiences and growth path in the mining industry. 

The second plenary speaker is Sietse van der Woude, Minerals Council executive responsible for modernisation and safety. Given the industry’s current journey towards modernisation, Sietse’s talk will unpack what modernisation in mining means. This is an important presentation that will set the scene for many of the lightning talks by young professionals in the industry. 

The themes of the lightning talks to be presented are: 

Modernisation and people factors 

For young people preparing to enter the world of employment - or just starting their careers - it is important to understand future skills needs for a modernised mining industry. This theme is a continuation of Sietse’s plenary presentation, intended to elaborate on what skills are required for a modernised mining industry, and touching on the importance of increased efficiencies that reduce fatalities. 

Technologies for mining – trial and error 

For the research enthusiast, this parallel theme explores trial-and-error in the development and application of new technologies in mining. Some of the technologies to be presented include the investigation of novel rock-breaking techniques; the identification of a non-destructive technology to map out the structure of excavations, and a review of pneumatic vs. hydropower rock drills. 

Highly anticipated will be the presentations by more experienced young researchers from the CSIR, Council for Geosciences, and the Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa, who are amongst the Precinct’s research partners and collaborators. 

The #YOUNGmindsformines day will conclude with a series of presentations from the CSIR, Department of Science and Innovation, and other partners on their graduate and internship programmes, offering delegates the opportunity to ask questions and gain clarification on entry requirements.