ESG
Our Mission
To empower South Africa’s future by transforming education and community development in mining regions - unlocking pathways for youth and women to participate in the economies of tomorrow. Rooted in Africa but global in outlook, our CSI initiatives turn opportunity into meaningful impact, building skills, confidence, and sustainable growth from the classroom to the community.
Our Projects & Impact
Empowering Communities
As part of our commitment to sustainability and community impact, Mining Indaba partnered with Township® to create eco-friendly bags for Mining Indaba 2026.
Sustainable Materials:
- Strap: Natural cotton, locally sourced from Southern African countries.
- Inside: Recycled banner material from previous Mining Indaba events and conferences.
- Outside: Recycled PET felt made from plastic bottles collected across South Africa.
Supporting Communities:
- 4 cooperatives were engaged, employing 40 women.
- A total of 18,000 working hours were dedicated to the project.
- Every bag represents meaningful work and sustainable progress.
Building Bright Futures
At Mining Indaba, sustainability goes beyond environmental stewardship — it’s about investing in people, education, and opportunity. Through our partnership with Breadline Africa and Mining Indaba, we’re helping transform early childhood development (ECD) in underserved South African communities. Mining Indaba has funded the reconstruction of the Masonwabe Educare Centre in Gugulethu, Cape Town, creating a safe, hygienic, and inspiring learning environment for 76 children. In addition, a repurposed Mining Indaba container has been transformed into a Grade R classroom and community hub for Ubunye Educare in Dunoon.
Impact at a Glance
50,000+ meals supported through joint ECD and feeding programmes
4 ECD centres rebuilt with sustainable infrastructure and learning environments
200+ children to benefit from the Komati Just Energy Transition ECD
1 repurposed Mining Indaba unit transformed into a thriving classroom
100+ children enjoyed their first seaside educational outing
100s of lives transformed through access to safe learning spaces
“Every time we walk into a transformed ECD centre made possible through our partnership with Hyve Group, we witness hope taking root. These are more than buildings – they are safe, inspiring spaces where children can thrive.”
“Working with Breadline Africa since 2022 has been one of the most meaningful parts of my career. Having known Janine from the events industry, supporting Breadline Africa’s incredible impact felt like a natural fit. Visiting Masonwabe EDC was life-changing — the children’s smiles, excitement to learn, and the heartfelt gratitude from teachers were deeply moving. Education changes everything. Seeing how a safe, inspiring classroom transforms a child’s future reminded me why our support for Breadline Africa matters — it’s about building more than schools, it’s about building hope and opportunity.”
Sustainability in Action
After the event, our shipping partner collected and delivered two full LDVs of leftover magazine and paper materials to Silverleaf Primary School, a local school in need.
The school participated in a recycling initiative, receiving payment for the paper materials we donated. With the funds earned, they purchased seeds and tools to expand their community vegetable garden — a sustainable project that continues to provide nutritious meals to feed the children.
Thanks to this contribution, 750 children were fed, demonstrating how even leftover materials can generate meaningful and lasting community impact.
Nourishing Local Children
We proudly support Ladles of Love through their Nourish Our Children Programme, which provides nutritious meals to over 70 children at Masonwabe EDC. Our contributions help ensure that each child receives two healthy meals every day, giving them consistent access to essential nutrients.
Through Mining Indaba’s ongoing partnership and donations, the programme not only sustains daily meal provision but also delivers nutrition education workshops, empowering children and their caregivers with knowledge about healthy and affordable diets.
During the annual Charity Day, approximately 40 Mining Indaba volunteers participated in food preparation and community activities, further reinforcing our shared commitment to addressing food insecurity in a sustainable way.
“Our partnership with the Hyve Group is more than a collaboration; it's a story of hope and transformation. When Hyve completed the new building for Masonwabe Early Childhood Centre in Gugulethu, one of our poorest communities, they didn't stop there. They chose to sponsor an entire year's nutritional program, ensuring these precious children would receive two nourishing meals daily. I'll never forget visiting Thandi, the Centre's Principal, to share this wonderful news. As I explained the food items they'd receive for the children and carers, her eyes welled up. She looked at me, her voice trembling with emotion, and said, "After eleven years of running this centre, this will be the first time I can serve our children vegetables." Those words struck my heart. No amount of money can match the value of such a profound impact and we're deeply grateful to the Hyve Group for walking this journey with us over the last two years, changing lives one meal at a time.”
“Taking part in the Ladles of Love charity day with the Mining Indaba team was a wonderful experience. We spent the day cooking warm meals, making teddy bears, and putting together gift packs for the children supported by the charity. It was special to give back and see the difference a little kindness can make.”
Implementing Carbon Footprint Reduction
At Mining Indaba, we’re committed to reducing our environmental footprint through innovative and sustainable event design. We collaborated with Jane & Paul, a small independent company founded post-pandemic, to design a new sustainable range of exhibition infrastructure.
- Together, we developed a flat-pack, modular system that significantly lowers the carbon footprint associated with transport and packaging.
- The infrastructure is crafted from South African pine, a fast-growing, renewable, and sustainably sourced material.
- A CNC-cut joining mechanism was used to eliminate the need for screws, nails, or pins. This allows the units to be flat-packed, easily stored, and reused across multiple events.
Empowering Youth & Women
Kidz Positive serves as an income generation initiative, empowering mothers and caregivers of children impacted by HIV/AIDS to earn a livelihood. Workers collect raw materials weekly, either from home or at the local office in Cape Town, as shown in the images below. This year, Kidz Positive manufactured notebooks, pens, and ministerial folders for our delegates, essential tools for them to engage effectively in their roles.
“Every purchase made through our partnership with Mining Indaba contributes directly to Kidz Positive’s mission of empowering mothers and caregivers affected by HIV/AIDS. Through meaningful job creation, skills development, and income generation, each handmade product supports sustainable livelihoods and brings dignity and hope to the participating families. With the support of the last Mining Indaba order, we were able to invest in adult education — focusing specifically on how the mothers manage and spend their money — helping them build stronger financial habits and greater independence.”
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“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Kidz Positive since 2022, when we were given one of their products as a gift during a meeting. The small, personalised touch resonated with me, and after learning more about the incredible work the organisation does, we’ve continued to partner with them for all our branded gifting ever since. Their creative ideas and the quality of their products are outstanding, but knowing that our orders help provide employment, empowerment, and training to the women they support is the true reason we want to and will continue supporting them in the future.”
Reduce, Reuse & Recycle
At Mining Indaba, sustainability is embedded in every stage of our event design. With ten content stages, the simplest option would be to build brand-new sets each year — using fresh raw materials and disposing of them afterwards. Instead, we are committed to a circular approach that focuses on reducing waste, reusing existing material, and recycling wherever possible. By simplifying stage structures or using creative lighting solutions, we significantly minimise the volume of new materials required.
- 2023: Our main stage was built entirely from sustainably sourced South African pine, setting a new standard for eco-conscious event design.
- 2024: We reduced the size of our main stage and repurposed the left-over materials to create two additional stages.
- 2025: Key components from the 2023 stage continued to feature across multiple content stages. In partnership with our AV supplier, IVTM, we also began storing all stage elements for future reuse — further limiting our environmental impact.
- 2026: Existing materials remain central to our stage-building strategy. This year’s stages — named after iconic African geographical locations — will incorporate reused elements alongside increased use of fabric to add visual detail. All fabric will be recycled after the event to form the inner lining of the 2027 delegate bags. Any items that cannot be reused are returned to IVTM, where they are repurposed for other projects within their workshops.
Each year, these designs showcase how thoughtful planning can drive environmental impact without compromising quality or experience.
2026 Agenda Sessions Supporting ESG
Reflecting our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, the Mining Indaba 2026 themes of Communities and Indigenous People, Sustainability, and the Just Energy Transition closely align with our values. Explore the sessions on our agenda to learn more.
Why is coal not considered a critical mineral?
As the global conversation around critical minerals intensifies, driven by the energy transition, digitalisation, and geopolitical shifts, coal remains notably absent from most critical mineral lists. However, coal is vital to Africa’s development as a continent and is needed to generate energy in areas of the world that hold many critical mineral deposits. Does this not make it critical to the energy transition?
Speakers
Moderator
Shamini Harrington
Senior Executive: Environment, Health, Legacies & Employee Relations
Minerals Council South Africa
Is mining's ESG agenda losing momentum?
Are mining’s ESG priorities evolving or diluting? WHAT IF mining’s ESG priorities – decarbonisation, inclusion and diversity – could be strategically positioned as equally important to shifting business strategies, global geopolitics and commodity price fluctuation? Gain insights into what it takes to keep sustainability and equity at the heart of mining’s uncertain economic future.
Speakers
Moderator
Can regional alliances amplify positive community impact?
WHAT IF mining companies actively collaborated to deliver transformative community projects – actively on the ground during life- of-mine operations but also by pooling cash towards legacy funding for post mine closure? Regional mining alliances could unlock larger, more strategic investments that go beyond individual efforts. By pooling resources, aligning goals, and coordinating action, these alliances could dramatically amplify the scale and sustainability of community benefits.
Speakers
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Is a circular economy just?
A circular economy is undoubtedly better for the planet by reducing pressure on new extraction, but can it be good for people too? How can we avoid it "kicking away the ladder" for development in producing countries if the world's demand for primary metal falls?
Speakers
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Moderator
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Can partnerships pave the way for Africa’s communities to benefit from Africa’s critical minerals?
Africa is currently at the centre of a geopolitical scramble for transition minerals. It creates a once in a lifetime opportunity for the growth of Africa’s communities through long term value addition and investment into communities and infrastructure… However, this outcome is far from certain. There is a reality where the riches of Africa’s critical minerals end up in the hands of a small group of people, many of which are outside of Africa, and communities never see true beneficiation. This session explores the transformative potential of strategic partnerships in ensuring that Africa’s communities derive meaningful and lasting benefits from the continent’s vast reserves of critical minerals
Speakers
Ezgi Canpolat
Social Dimensions of Climate Change & AI for Social Good – Eastern & Southern Africa
World Bank
Moderator
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