South Africa requires a robust, representative, principled and professional, future-focused mineral-exploration and development organisation that is capable of educating, promoting, lobbying and, if necessary, litigating for the creation of a vibrant exploration sector, says exploration, evaluation and mining geologist Dr John Bristow.

"It is crucial that the role of risk-takers, entrepreneurs and junior explorers and developers are recognised and acknowledged, and that they are provided with a platform to highlight their challenges, skills, capabilities and ability to create and unlock value," he says.

They require enabling mineral, public capital market and tax policies, the rapid processing and turnover of exploration licences and funding solutions.

"Attracting foreign exploration funding for high-risk projects is also vital. Without exploration, the mining industry will continue its long-term downward trajectory and will largely end within the careers of current young mining industry employees," he adds.

A feature of successful junior mining and exploration countries is that explorers and developers are regarded as an interest group separate from the incumbent mining industry, which is primarily concerned with their existing capital investment.

Such an organisation must have the leadership and management experience in professional exploration to overcome the lack of exploration experience in the country and to act to promote actions to secure the future of the industry, states Bristow.

"It is time to provide a platform and advocate for the future of the mining industry that is not beholden to industry or government and does what is right for the country and young employees entering the mining industry."

A series of initiatives and proposals have not led to traction, and the need for exploration and a new cadastre system was highlighted by veteran exploration geologists in late-2020 as part of the Reviving Exploration in RSA programme organised by the Overberg Geoscientists Group.

"South Africa's regulations, legislation and representative institutions do not fully appreciate the entrepreneurial and high-risk nature of mineral exploration and, in the view of the Reviving Exploration in RSA participants, cannot cultivate an entrepreneurial exploration culture. A mineral-exploration and development organisation can help to realise this," concludes Bristow.