The South African mining industry needed to evolve from a brown industry to a contributor to a green economy by focusing on the rehabilitation of old mine sites, the introduction of cleaner technologies, and beneficiation, said Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu on Tuesday.

Speaking at the ‘Green Economy Summit' in Johannesburg, Shabangu pointed out that a shift towards more environmentally acceptable mining practices would require deep concentration on the optimisation of social and economic benefits from mining and the country's mineral resources.

"South Africa's mining industry is one of the cornerstones of the country's economy, and will always be a significant contributor to the country's GDP [gross domestic product], which is why this sector is such an important aspect of building a green economy in the country."

Shabangu said that going into the future, the mining sector needed to concentrate on balancing modern production methods with future consumption.

"We need to promote modern technologies in mining, rehabilitate our old mining dumps, concentrate on waste management, address health and safety issues, social issues and develop long-term skills towards the social upliftment of the country's citizens.

"South Africa's mining industry has historically had unnecessary negative social and environmental impacts in the country, and we are currently changing that.

"Beneficiation of minerals is an important drive towards the socioeconomy of South Africa and building a competitive economy in the country."

Currently, the country's mining industry is an employer of half-a-million direct jobs and half-a-million indirect jobs, and had contributed to around 2,9% of South Africa's GDP during the recessionary period.

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