Pioneering The South African Fashion Philosophy

Since our arrival on the fashion scene almost 10 years ago, the Cape Town Fashion Council has made groundbreaking local and international developments which have seen a boom in the fashion design industry of Cape Town.

Growth Or Demise? The Future Of SA’s Coal Sector

In 2014, South Africa produced about $11bn worth of coal, $8bn worth of platinum group metals and $6bn each of gold and iron ore.  Coal was king by a mile. Yet our coal, the most valuable South African commodity of the past few years (and maybe decades), warrants hardly a mention in the international media compared… Read more »

Local Supply On Tap

SAB’s Go Farming initiative is developing small-scale farmers to meet its current and future raw material needs.

Empowering The Mining Industry: Lessons From The Last 10 Years

The South African mining industry adopted a historical broad-based socio-economic empowerment charter for the South African Mining Industry (Mining Charter) in October 2002.

President Zuma’s Last Chance To Save Gold Mining In SA

A momentous few days for South African mining occurred this month, particularly on 9 October. The South African government and the country’s largest mining union and major mining companies gathered at two different venues and told each other – and the audience, country and the world – how important mining was to South Africa, and… Read more »

Managing Resettlement For Future Mine Sustainability

Laws regulating the resettlement of communities for mining projects may be poorly defined, such that if they are used literally, then neither the mining company nor the community are protected. This could result in delays to approvals that may affect the viability of operations or development projects. Resettling communities is a negotiated process whereby the… Read more »

Law Matters – Keeping Abreast Of Botswana’s Changing Mining Landscape

Mining and minerals tend to form the backbone of the economies of most African countries. Botswana is no different. The success of the Botswana economy over the years is largely due to revenues realised from diamonds which continue to be the mainstay of the economy, currently accounting for more than one-third of GDP, 70-80% of… Read more »

Death of SA Mining: Facts, Fiction And Fantasy

Nothing grabs attention in the headlines like ‘Death’, ‘Destruction’, ‘Debt’ and of course ‘Mining’. Why these four words are so regularly used and misused so often by the government, unions and the press – is testament to their success in getting the masses’ attention – and reaction. And that reaction is always emotional and often… Read more »

Celebrating 20 Years Of Democracy

As South Africa reflects on the past two decades of its democracy, it is time to take stock of both the country’s achievements, outlined in the recent 20- Year Review, as well as the challenges that lie ahead. Katherine Graham interviewed four previous SALGA chairpersons to glean their insights on the accomplishments made in the sphere of local government.

Think Independently, Invest In Skills

Former Black Management Forum (BMF) president Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu bemoans the fact that 20 years into democracy South Africa still has not embarked on a massive skills upliftment programme aimed at deepening the professional skills required to transform the economy.

Back To The Blueprint

Themba Dlamini is the new MD of the BMF. Describing himself as diligent, decisive and an honest leader, he has the task of leading the organisation forward in its quest to improve the country’s transformation statistics. Less than two months into the job, he talks agenda with African Leader editor, Thando Pato.

Design Methodologies In Informal Settlements

TODAY MEGACITIES IN developing countries feature the world’s highest rates of population growth, which causes modernisation islands to stand next to largescale informal urban settlements. In these informal territories, a deep concentration of poverty and social problems co-exists with social and economic dynamics, creative initiatives and a sense of urbanity. Taking into account that currently… Read more »