Better safety on South African mines has meant fewer fatalities, but more must be done to improve livelihoods and boost inclusive growth on the back of mining, says Wits Mining Institute (WMI) director Professor Fred Cawood.

In his foreword to the 'Best Practice Report on Health and Safety on South African Mines', Cawood said the publication could not have come at a better time.

The report was launched last week by the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

At the top of today’s mining agenda, he said, was the aim to achieve intelligent, precise mining that caused no harm to mineworkers or host communities.

“Mining has a reputation for being one of the most dangerous occupations, where miners are faced with countless risks every day such as rock falls.

“Digital technologies have the potential to take us to the next level when it comes to mine health and safety,” he said.

The Best Practice Report offers information and solutions to support the industry’s journey towards 'zero harm'.

The involvement of German technology companies in the report stems from their sourcing of raw materials from countries like South Africa.

Germany’s government and industry are working to ensure that these inputs are sourced from countries and companies that mine responsibly.

“As part of this commitment, [the German] Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) embarked on a Mine Health and Safety Project for the Southern African region in 2018,” said Gerard Mohapi, the chamber’s project manager business development – mining and industry.

“The first phase of the project is this mine health and safety publication, which will be followed by workshops and seminars in 2019 and 2020.”

In his foreword, Cawood highlighted the “unique and massive challenges” facing the South African mining sector.

“On the one hand is a positive impact on economic wellbeing, while on the other hand is a legacy of inequity among its workers that has rendered a great many of them vulnerable to poverty and disease,” he said.

“This requires constant innovation to deal with our unique issues to find unique solutions.”

He noted the vital role of facilities like the Sibanye-Stillwater Digital Mining Laboratory (DigiMine) in finding solutions.

The DigiMine is equipped with digital systems to enable research for the mine of the future.