This year’s symposium of women upliftment network Women in Mining South Africa (WiMSA) reflected more senior and executive leaders in mining and related sectors than previous years, demonstrating the growing recognition that diversity and inclusion are business priorities rather than exclusively social initiatives, says WiMSA president Mogaleadi Seabela.

The symposium – themed Women Leading the Next Mining Shift: Innovation, Partnerships and Impact – was held last month at the Randpark Golf Club, in Randburg.

During the event, delegates explored themes such as innovation and the future of mining; promoting women in technical and executive leadership; the power of partnerships across industry, government and academia; and creating measurable impact through inclusive leadership and sustainable development.

The two-day event attracted about 200 delegates, representing mining companies, mining service providers, academia, equipment manufacturers, consulting firms and entrepreneurs. The symposium’s programme was intentionally designed to move beyond discussion by sharing practical solutions, successful case studies and actionable commitments that can be explored to continue growing the industry.

In explaining how the local mining industry is changing, Seabela says the next mining shift is about more than technological advancement – it represents a transformation in leadership, culture and collaboration.

As the world becomes increasingly digital and emerging technologies continue to shift how human work flows, mining is also shifting slowly towards the automation of processes, the increased application of AI across the value chain and the increasingly common occurrence of operations becoming remote.

Critical minerals, decarbonisation and the transition towards renewable energy provide “unprecedented opportunities” for new ways of exploration, processing and delivering value from natural resources, she adds, noting that success in this environment depends on attracting, training and retaining the most diverse talent capable of driving innovation.

Working Women

In trying to expand the presence of women in the mining industry, Seabela says WiMSA has invested considerably in growing partnerships that strengthen the pipeline of young women entering the industry.

WiMSA’s collaboration with universities, schools, industry partners and professional organisations has created “meaningful exposure” through career fairs and student engagement programmes which focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, subjects, as well as on soft, but critical, skills and the sharing of lived workplace experiences, she highlights.