Dr. Thuthula Balfour
Head - Health and Safety Minerals Council South Africa
Dr Balfour is a qualified medical doctor and public health medicine specialist with an MBA and Diploma in Occupational Health. She has a wealth of management experience that spans 36 years, 23 of which have been at a strategic level and 16 in the mining industry.
In the mining industry she has led several initiatives in the industry with massive improvements in monitoring performance and outcomes in occupational health.
Dr Balfour has a certificate in Board Leadership from the Gordon Institute of Business Science and am a member of the Institute of Directors of South Africa. She currently serve on the board of Department of Labour’s Compensation Board and Department of Mineral Resource’s Mine Health and Safety Council and also serves on the BUSA Task Team on the National Health Insurance. She served on the South African Health Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 from 2020 till 2023.
In 2018 she was named as one of the Top 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining.
2025 Agenda Sessions
Why are we not reaching zero harm targets?
- What are the inherent risks associated with mining operations that make achieving Zero Harm particularly challenging?
- How can technology support with achieving zero harm goals?
- How can artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies be leveraged to optimize Health and safety?
- How can workers be empowered to take ownership of their safety and report hazards without fear of reprisal?
Monday 03 February 15:45 - 16:30 CTICC1
Tech & Innovation Hub
- What are the inherent risks associated with mining operations that make achieving Zero Harm particularly challenging?
- How can technology support with achieving zero harm goals?
- How can artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies be leveraged to optimize Health and safety?
- How can workers be empowered to take ownership of their safety and report hazards without fear of reprisal?
Workshop 4 – Prioritising health and safety
Mining and Zero harm: Achieving the goal
The main goal of the workshop is to stimulate an open discussion about the challenges the mining industry is facing related to health and safety; how they can maintain a right to operate and attract further investment within this context; how to drive improvement; and how new thinking and new technologies can help to sustainably reduce the number, frequency and severity of accidents in mines across Africa.
The session will open with a panel discussion that will discuss how mining operations are evolving, how this has augmented risk, as well as the challenges and opportunities that companies have in improving their health and safety systems and practices. This will be followed by roundtable discussions where participants will delve more deeply into specific challenges that miners are facing, with a focus on pragmatic solutions:
•Effectively managing safety during M&A
•Managing and positively influencing contractors, sub-contractors and value chain partners (artisanal & small-scale miners)
•Technology and AI are seen as the silver bullet for improve safety performance, but what actually works and what data and monitoring strategies and frameworks are necessary to introduce new tech/AI effectively
• Engaging and building capabilities of employees; providing a safe working environment for all demographics
•Cultivating the right cultural context for safety
Tuesday 04 February 13:00 - 14:30 CTICC2
Interactive Workshops
Mining and Zero harm: Achieving the goal
The main goal of the workshop is to stimulate an open discussion about the challenges the mining industry is facing related to health and safety; how they can maintain a right to operate and attract further investment within this context; how to drive improvement; and how new thinking and new technologies can help to sustainably reduce the number, frequency and severity of accidents in mines across Africa.
The session will open with a panel discussion that will discuss how mining operations are evolving, how this has augmented risk, as well as the challenges and opportunities that companies have in improving their health and safety systems and practices. This will be followed by roundtable discussions where participants will delve more deeply into specific challenges that miners are facing, with a focus on pragmatic solutions:
•Effectively managing safety during M&A
•Managing and positively influencing contractors, sub-contractors and value chain partners (artisanal & small-scale miners)
•Technology and AI are seen as the silver bullet for improve safety performance, but what actually works and what data and monitoring strategies and frameworks are necessary to introduce new tech/AI effectively
• Engaging and building capabilities of employees; providing a safe working environment for all demographics
•Cultivating the right cultural context for safety
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