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Small mining towns are often single-industry towns that turn to ghost towns or face negative socio-economic impacts upon mine closure. This study qualitatively explores the roles that mining companies and other key stakeholders (should) play in the development of local economies of the small mining communities to bring about economic sustainability, employing a constant comparative analysis. A small mining town in South Africa is the case study. Legislative and policy frameworks were scrutinized for their effectiveness in promoting economic sustainability. In-depth interviews with key stakeholders were carried out. Key factors limiting the effective implementation of developmental strategies were also explored. The study finds that weak community involvement, lack of trust, poor collaboration, poor municipal capacity, and legislation and policy flaws impact economic sustainability. Sustainable local economic development efforts are reported though. However, such efforts are insufficient because of the legislation and policy frameworks that are promoting short-term growth. Also, the town's overdependence on the mining company, local government not optimally fulfilling their roles and responsibilities, and minimal community members' participation on local economic development are other hindrances. However, the fact that the mining company and local municipality do acknowledge the shortcomings in their efforts towards promoting economic sustainability is a promise in minimizing the socio-economic effects of mine closures. Plain Language Summary: Stakeholder perspectives of economic sustainability of small mining towns The purpose of this study is to find ways to minimize the socio-economic effects that bedevil small mining towns when the extraction of the mineral becomes unviable. Often, small mining towns are single-industry towns and so they turn to ghost towns or face negative socio-economic impacts upon mine closure. The current study qualitatively explores the roles that mining companies and other key stakeholders (should) play in the development of local economies of the small mining communities to bring about economic sustainability. The study uses a small mining town in South Africa as the case study. Legislative and policy frameworks were scrutinized for their effectiveness in promoting economic sustainability. In-depth interviews with key stakeholders were carried out. Key factors limiting the effective implementation of developmental strategies were also explored. The study finds that weak community involvement, lack of trust, poor collaboration, poor municipal capacity, and legislation and policy flaws impact economic sustainability. Sustainable local economic development efforts are reported though. However, such efforts are insufficient because of the legislation and policy frameworks that are promoting short-term growth. Also, the town's overdependence on the mining company, local government not optimally fulfilling their roles and responsibilities, and minimal community members' participation on local economic development are other hindrances. However, the fact that the mining company and local municipality do acknowledge the shortcomings in their efforts toward promoting economic sustainability is a promise in minimizing the socio-economic effects of mine closures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African mining industry relies on coal-based energy to run operations, with the sector utilising 29.6 terawatt-hours of energy in 2018. However, energy availability constraints and swelling electricity prices in the country have instilled a greater emphasis on energy management practices to reduce waste and maintain profitability. Energy benchmarking is a popular and effective energy management method applied in industry, but the current methods in the mining sector use the average energy usage of various mining shafts over different intervals to develop benchmarks. This may lead to skewed benchmarks when anomalous energy usage is present within the interval or when vastly different energy users are aggregated. However, clustering-based benchmarking techniques have been applied successfully in other industries to compare similar energy users accurately. This study developed and applied a clustering-based benchmarking method to evaluate the performance of different mining shafts at a deep-level gold mine in South Africa. The K-means unsupervised learning clustering algorithm was used to group similar energy users and benchmark different mining shafts using ordinary least squares regression equations. Compared to traditional methods, the benefit of clustered energy usage benchmarks is shown by more accurately evaluating energy performance and facilitating focused energy management responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature on the advent of 4IR has focused on the disruptive features of 4IR for the workplace and the role 4IR will play in enhancing economic growth and productivity. However, less is written about whether and how 4IR technologies may affect and be affected by the existing political settlement, especially in developing countries like South Africa. We investigate whether and how the adoption of technological advancements associated with 4IR would affect (and be affected by) the political settlements in South Africa's mining industry. We argue that the displacement of workers can shift the balance of power against organised labour and in favour of mining companies. Nonetheless, the impact of 4IR is not predetermined. South Africa's mining industry is a contested terrain, and the existing political settlement is likely to influence the process, pace, and extent of adopting 4IR technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global mining industry has an opportunity to mobilize resources to advance progress against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2018, the Anglo-American Group outlined aspirations for mining host communities to meet the SDG3 health targets. To progress from aspiration to action we designed and implemented a mixed-methods approach to attain a deeper understanding of the health and wellbeing priorities within the local context of host communities of fifteen mines in South Africa.Methods: To identify local needs and priorities relating to SDG3 targets in host communities, stakeholder workshops and key informant interviews were conducted between June and August 2019. A baseline assessment of health data, related to each of the SDG3 targets and indicators and to each host community location, was also conducted. Findings emerging from the qualitative and quantitative baseline assessments were compared to identify the extent to which health issues aligned and health and wellbeing priority areas for action.Results: A total of 407 people participated in the workshops, and 85 key informants were interviewed. Quantitative data were available at sub-national level for seven of the nine SDG3 targets and eleven of the 21 indicators. Key priority areas for action identified through alignment of the qualitative and quantitative data were maternal mortality (SDG3.1), HIV (SDG3.3.1), tuberculosis (SDG3.3.2), substance abuse (SDG3.5), and road traffic accidents (SDG3.6) We found consistency in the individual, interpersonal, community, societal, and structural factors underlying these priority areas. At a structural level, poor access to quality healthcare was raised at every workshop as a key factor underlying the achievement of all SDG3 targets. Of the five priority areas identified, HIV, TB and substance abuse were found to overlap in the study communities in terms of risk, burden, and underlying factors.Conclusions: We demonstrate a mixed method approach for identifying local health needs and prioritised SDG3 targets in mining host communities. Consistency in reporting suggests the need for effective, efficient and feasible interventions to address five priority areas. Given the prominent economic role of the mining sector in South Africa, it can play a critical role in implementing programmatic activities that further progress towards achieving the SDG3 targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African mining sector faces numerous challenges that limit the performance of firms, chief among them environmental management, labour, and operational issues. An important research gap exists on how the adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) can contribute to the mitigation of some of these challenges. This study investigates the connection between GSCM, employee satisfaction, operational and relational efficiency, and enterprise performance in the mining sector in South Africa. The study employed a quantitative method using a cross-sectional survey design. A structured research questionnaire was used to collect data from supply chain professionals at two leading mining firms based in the North-West Province, South Africa. The collected data were analysed using a structural equation modelling procedure based on the partial least squares technique. The study reveals the positive influence of GSCM on employee job satisfaction, operational efficiency, relational efficiency, and enterprise performance. The study also confirms that relational efficiency and operational efficiency both exert a positive influence on enterprise performance. However, employee job satisfaction exerted no influence on enterprise performance. GSCM itself exerted a direct positive influence on enterprise performance. The application of GSCM in the mining sector should be recognised as part of the solutions to motivating supply chain professionals and stimulating important internal and external efficiencies, leading to the enhanced performance of the firm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The goal of hearing conservation programs (HCPs) is to prevent hearing loss, to preserve the existing hearing, and to provide workers with the knowledge and equipment they need to preserve their hearing. The South African mining industry has failed to achieve satisfactory results to reduce noise-induced hearing loss. Therefore, strategic and contextually relevant changes are required to reduce or eliminate occupational induced-hearing loss amongst mineworkers in South Africa. Objective: This study aims to develop an evidence-based theory on how HPCs work, for whom, and under what circumstances to reduce occupational-induced hearing loss amongst South African mineworkers. Method: A realist review will be conducted between October 2021 and February 2022 to examine how contextual factors trigger specific processes or behaviours (or "mechanisms") to reduce or eliminate occupational noise-induced hearing loss. This synthesis will follow five steps of Pawson's 2004 and 2005 guidance on conducting realist reviews: (1) developing the initial programme theory about hearing conservation programmes, based on a review of the scientific and grey literature, and multisector stakeholder workshops/interviews, (2) searching for evidence, (3) screening, selection, and appraisal of selected articles, (4) Data extraction and synthesis, and (5) refining the initial programme theory. In selected studies, patterns in context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations will be uncovered across and between studies. This will help to support, refute or modify the initial programme theory, and ultimately produce a refined programme theory on why and how HCPs work and in what context. Results: The results of this study will be reported using the RAMESES guidance and reporting standards for realist synthesis. Implications: The complexity of HPCs poses challenges to their implementation to reduce occupationally acquired hearing loss to South African mineworkers. The findings from this realist review will provide recommendations both to policymakers and mineworkers on how to reduce occupationally induced hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]