As new technology changes the way mines undertake drilling activities, a newly trained all-female drilling team has been deployed as part of a R2-billion multiyear recruiting and training agreement between mining services provider Rosond and Anglo American-controlled Kumba Iron Ore.

Physical Strength

An all-female drilling crew is believed to be unique and a first for South African mining, as jobs for drilling operators were historically reserved for men, owing to the physical strength and stamina required for lifting heavy drill rods during long shifts.

However, new technology incorporated in next-generation exploration rigs has changed that, with fully remote-controlled drill rigs and operators working while housed within an air-conditioned control room, Rosond says.

“It is safer, owing to less manual intervention into the operation of the drill rig, which reduces the chance of operators being injured on the job.”

The recruitment of women operators started during 2019, leading to the training and deployment of Veronica Mofokeng, the first woman to be trained in operating a new-age drill rig for Rosond.

Mofokeng, an operator at Kumba’s Sishen mine and Rosond’s first female operator in exploration, drills for iron-ore to a depth of 400 m using the new drill rig, along with drill rig assistant Nthabeleng Mona, who is also part of the all-female crew.

The training was facilitated by well-informed trainers, Mofokeng says.

Recruiting and training such a crew was the objective of Rosond’s agreement with Kumba, the company says.

Mona’s duties include general tasks on site, the marking of core samples and operating a rod handler, which is a new feature on the machine.

According to Minerals Council South Africa, women now make up 12% of the mining workforce, compared with 6% in 2008.

The slow progress in the representation and advancement of women in mining is, in part, attributed to regulatory, social and physical barriers, according to the mining industry representative body.

In August, the Minerals Council’s first National Day of Women in Mining initiative aimed to accelerate the process within the council’s leadership, in mining company boardrooms and within mining companies themselves, and to put the advancement of women firmly on the agenda.

The Minerals Council highlights its focus on the implementation of initiatives designed to achieve stretch targets on women representation in the South African mining industry.

The set and agreed stretch targets aim to at least double the percentage of women in mining by 2025 and ultimately work towards 30% to 40% women representation across the industry and 50% in management over the next decade.

Working Models

The opportunities to accelerate the work of the Women in Mining Leadership Forum include the piloting of remote working models and technology, and implementing technology with the potential to benefit and attract women into the sector.

Every year, the industry will come together in August to take stock of the progress made.

Minerals Council South Africa has adopted a similar approach to that being used to address safety and health, which is considered a fundamental priority every day, for women working in mining.