Modern Mining April 2024

amount of seaborne cargo going through our ports, with the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) account ing for lower tonnages exported – from 76 million tonnes in 2017 to just 47 million tonnes in 2023. Given the challenges at RBCT much of the coal has been diverted to Mozambique, Namibia and neigh bouring countries. The good news is that the quantity of seaborne cargo has recently experienced a slight uptick, which I believe is a function of a change in the management at Transnet as it gets to grips with the problems being encountered.” On a further positive note, Business leadership South Africa, in partnership with business lead ers and government, have committed to working together to tackle the three main scourges nega tively affecting the economy – energy constraints, transport and logistics bottlenecks, and crime and sabotage. “Crime and sabotage lie at the heart of the coun try’s inability to undertake infrastructure projects that have been earmarked by government.” Dr Jammine says that although South Africa faces severe energy, transport and logistic, and crime related challenges, the economy is not about to collapse. “If it were another country facing such challenges, it would not have seen any economic growth at all – not 1% or 0.5%, but minus three or minus five percent and the total collapse of the economy.” So, given the myriad challenges, especially the persistence of high unemployment, why is there no social unrest? asks Dr Jammine. “South Africa has high interracial and interethnic diversity which creates checks and balances; several strong NGO organisations, a proliferation of religious organisations to keep the peace, a wide net of social grants to aid 47% of the population, and a private sector which remains enterprising and carries on regardless,” he says. 

Above: There are global technological developments towards cleaner energy that may result in increased demand for some minerals. Left: South Africa faces severe energy, transport and logistic, and crime related challenges.

Structural impediments to economic growth  Corruption  SOEs  Energy insecurity  Transport and logistic bottlenecks  Low investment relative to consumption  Economic policy uncertainty  Overregulation and bureaucracy  State not embracing the private sector  Lack of capacity to implement  Cadre deployment  Crime, sabotage and deterioration in law & order  Need to improve educational outcomes

April 2024  MODERN MINING  13