OVERVIEW metal (PGM)
OVERVIEW metal (PGM) jewellery. Small PGM jewellery-manufacturing enterprises and individuals are located at the centre or supported by email correspondence. A three-year period of incubation is offered to small businesses. Chrome There are 20 chromite mines in North West Province. The mines are located along a reef running from Brits to Rustenburg and they are serviced by several ferrochrome smelters. South Africa produces about 70% of the world’s chrome, with most of that originating in North West Province. Most chromite is processed into ferrochrome, a vital component in the making of steel. South Africa produces 40% of the world’s ferrochrome. Diamonds Diamonds are found in several parts of the North West: Lichtenburg, Koster and Ventersdorp near the centre, and Christiana and Bloemhof further south. Rockwell Diamonds sold its Tirisano mine near Ventersdorp in 2015, to a group of royalty miners who had been working on the site. Gold Several major companies are active in the area where the provinces of Gauteng, Free State and Gauteng meet: Anglogold Ashanti, Harmony and DRD. AngloGold Ashanti’s Tau Tona operation is located in North West. ONLINE RESOURCES Chamber of Mines of South Africa: www.chamberofmines.org.za Geological Society of South Africa: www.gssa.org.za Industrial Development Corporation: www.idc.co.za Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA): www.mqa.org.za National Department of Energy: www.energy.gov.za National Department of Mineral Resources: www.dmr.gov.za National Department of Trade and Industry: www.dti.gov.za North West Development Corporation: www.nwdc.co.za South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: www.saimm.co.za In 2015, Chinese company Heaven-Sent acquired the gold mine of Village Main Reef, Tau Lekoa near Klerksdorp. (Buffelsfontein gold mine closed in 2013.) Harmony Gold has two mines in the province: Kal Gold and Kusasalethu (formerly Elandsrand). The company has announced an employee share-option plan (ESOP) where about 33 000 employees across Harmony operations will take up ownership of just less than 3% of the company. South Africa’s thirdbiggest gold miner calculates that a qualifying employee might be paid out R10 000 for 100 ordinary shares after five years. Limestone and cement Limestone quarries run by G&W Base and Industrial Minerals in the Marico District are located next to a PPC cement factory. One of the last economically viable limestone deposits in South Africa is mined and processed by Sephaku Cement. Sephaku runs a 6 000-ton per day clinker facility located near Lichtenburg. AfriSam, PPC and Lafarge already have a significant presence in the Mahikeng/Lichtenburg area, but Sephaku is confident that its clinker and cement-production facilities will be supported by raw materials for at least 30 years. Granite and slate are found in good quantities in the province, as is dimension stone. There are more than 20 quarry operations in the province, with Rustenburg being the centre of granite mining. NORTH WEST BUSINESS 2017 32
Wesizwe honours commitments made in social and labour plan as part of social license to operate P art of Wesizwe’s strategy in building good stakeholder relations with the host community is supporting the development of small medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and continuous engagements with stakeholders. The company creates strategic partnerships that support infrastructure development for basic services and needs, such as education, skills development and health. The main focus is on ensuring that the company enables, empowers and supports the host community. Currently, the largest SLP project so far undertaken by the company is the housing project for employees. The objective of this project is in line with the mining charter requirements on housing. The organization has taken proactive action in ensuring that the mine does not contribute to the creation of informal settlements while the company steps up the provision of formal housing. The focus is on developing a 2-phased housing scheme: Phase 1: 801 units and Phase 2: 1 504 units. This will be an integrated human settlement and to achieve this Wesizwe has forged strategic partnerships with North West Department of Local Government and Human Settlements and the Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA) in order to fund the development and Moses Kotane Local Municipality. Wesizwe Platinum is a public company incorporated in the Republic of South Africa with its shares listed on the JSE Securities Exchange (JSE). For more information on Wesizwe Platinum, visit the website – www.wesizwe.com
