The Northern Cape’s untapped mining potential
By Jessie Taylor The Northern Cape is increasingly being positioned as South Africa’s next major mining hub, with the province holding untapped potential capable of reshaping the national economic landscape. Long known for its vast mineral wealth and iconic diamond history, the Northern Cape is now entering a new phase defined by diversification, beneficiation and large-scale investment. Recent insights from the Minerals Council South Africa highlight the province’s strategic importance, with its acting chief economist noting that the Northern Cape could unlock significant revenue through a revitalised and expanded mining sector. As South Africa seeks new growth drivers in a competitive global economy, the province’s resource base, combined with infrastructure development and renewable energy capacity, positions it as a compelling frontier for investment. A province rich in mineral opportunity The Northern Cape is widely recognised as one of the most resource-rich regions in the country. It is home to extensive deposits of manganese, iron ore and other critical minerals that are increasingly in demand globally. From the historic diamond fields of Kimberley to large-scale iron ore operations such as Beeshoek, mining has long been central to the region’s identity and economic activity. In addition, the Kalahari Manganese Field is one of the largest known manganese reserves globally. Mining remains one of the most important economic drivers in the Northern Cape, alongside agriculture. The sector contributes significantly to employment, exports and regional development, forming a backbone of economic activity in many towns across the province. As a key pillar of the provincial government’s development strategy, mining is central to efforts aimed at industrialisation and job creation. The provincial leadership has identified mining as one of the most critical sectors underpinning economic growth, supported by infrastructure development and transport corridors designed to unlock further investment. Mining in the Northern Cape is deeply interconnected with other sectors, including logistics, manufacturing and energy. This interconnectedness creates opportunities for broader economic spillovers, enabling the province to move beyond primary extraction towards a more diversified and resilient economy. Infrastructure and investment driving growth A key factor underpinning the Northern Cape’s emergence as a mining hub is the scale of infrastructure investment currently underway or in planning. Major projects, including transport corridors, port development and special economic zones, are expected to significantly enhance the province’s ability to support large-scale mining operations. Plans for developments such as the Boegoebaai deep-water port and the Upington special economic zone are particularly noteworthy. These initiatives aim to improve export capacity and logistics efficiency, enabling minerals to reach global markets more competitively. At the same time, the province’s leadership is actively positioning the Northern Cape as an attractive destination for both local and international investors. With over R100 billion in anticipated investment across sectors – including mining, energy and manufacturing – the region is poised for accelerated industrialisation. One of the Northern Cape’s most distinctive advantages is its leadership in renewable energy. The province hosts a significant share of South Africa’s solar and wind energy projects, producing more renewable energy than it consumes. This abundance of clean energy presents a unique opportunity for the mining sector. As global demand grows for sustainably produced minerals, the ability to power mining operations with renewable energy enhances the province’s competitiveness and aligns with international environmental standards. With its rich mineral endowment, expanding infrastructure, renewable energy leadership and strategic vision, the province has all the ingredients required to become South Africa’s next mining hub. Crucially, the focus is not only on expanding mining activity, but on building an integrated, future-ready economy that maximises value, creates jobs and drives sustainable development. As investment gathers pace and policy alignment strengthens, the Northern Cape is increasingly emerging as a beacon of opportunity within South Africa’s broader economic landscape. Northern Cape economic snapshot The Northern Cape is South Africa’s largest province by land area, offering substantial space for industrial expansion and mining development. Sources: Mining Weekly | Infrastructure News | Minerals Council South Africa | Statistics South Africa | Kalahari Manganese Field
An emerging leader in mining
The Standard Bank Top Women Awards 2024 is one of South Africa’s most prestigious celebrations of women’s leadership and excellence.
Creating waves of change for women in mining and transport: Young achiever of the year Nerissa Chegwidden
By Shumirai Chimombe “Where passion meets purpose – Success is inevitable” Nerissa Chegwidden lived up to her company’s name Sekunjalo (meaning ‘now is the time’) when she walked away with both the Top Empowered Fast Growth Black-Owned SMME of the Year, and the Young Achiever Award at the Top Empowerment Awards 2024. A qualified civil engineer with a deep passion for change through empowerment, Nerissa is the CEO of Sekunjalo Engineering Solutions Ltd which is a 100% women-owned and managed company specialising in project management, logistics, and commodity trading. The company has earned a formidable presence in the industry, and is driven by excellence and a vision to transform the industry to be more inclusive and representative of black women. “I always had a desire to change the opportunities that were available to women in our country. Being a civil engineer for 12 years in the field, I became accustomed to being one of very few, if not the only, woman on a construction site. This needed to change. The same scenario seemed to repeat itself in the mining and transport sectors, and finally, being able to make my own decisions and plans for Sekunjalo, I started to make the changes I wanted to see. It had to start somewhere.” The engineering sector opened a door into the mining and logistics space where Nerissa is one of very few black women who are successfully blazing a trail in this sector. She founded Sekunjalo Engineering Solutions in 2018 and started operations in August 2020 as a transport agency that offered transporters contracts for their vehicles. The coal transport industry is a male-dominated industry from transporters to mine owners, drivers and operators. Sekunjalo Engineering Solutions had a mandate from inception to transform this industry to be more inclusive and welcoming to black females. “The order of business was to create a company that was 100% female managed, so we employed female managers that shared this desire and passion for both the industry itself and its transformation.” Sekunjalo is now one of very few coal transport companies that have 100% female ownership and management. After five years of hard work and determination and seeing the growth of the company, she succeeded in entering the space as a transporter in her own right and purchased her own in-house fleet of side tippers. She did this while still maintaining the mandated fleet of vehicles that are solely managed by the company. The company is a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor with a regional coverage that includes South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia. “When we increased our fleet in 2024, we embarked on a targeted recruitment process to hire female side tipper drivers. This process proved to us that there was a lack of experienced female drivers available due to lack of opportunities. I employed the experienced drivers as lead drivers and the ones with no experience as trainee drivers…thereby skilling them and creating a small pool of female drivers that can be absorbed into the industry. Our driver component is now made up of 30% female drivers and we are striving to increase these stats.” Spreading the branches to reach and empower other women When Sekunjalo started expanding and purchasing its own vehicles, Nerissa realised that it was very hard to find networking opportunities for women, and she discovered that there were other women who were searching for the same thing. Experienced women were looking for like-minded individuals to network with, while the inexperienced were looking for organisations that could share knowledge on how to start and where to start. This inspired Nerissa to found Women in Transport South Africa (WITSA) to bring together women and share knowledge. The forum also aims to train more women to enter the mining and transport sector, from entrepreneurs to drivers and operators. “Knowledge is power and it’s power that many of the experienced women in this industry possess and are willing to share with each other in this forum.” WITSA also opens up opportunities for smaller companies to grow by coming together as a unit to be awarded contracts and orders for transport. Nerissa explains that there are many transporters that have one or two trucks and find it very hard to be awarded long term contracts. One of the aims of the organisation is to band together as a consortium of smaller transporters and target bigger contracts as Women in Transport. From the work of WITSA Nerissa further identified a need for trained female side tipper drivers. She is currently heading up the funding application and business case for the creation of a driving school for female side tipper drivers. The school, named She Drives, will train the drivers and offer experiential training as assistant drivers to various transport companies while paying them a stipend from the funding. After a year, the school will have produced a new cohort of female drivers who are experienced and ready for employment. Nerissa has come a long way since starting Sekunjalo Engineering Solutions as a new mum growing her business from home and hosting meetings in her dining room, to now moving into new office space in 2024 that will enable the company to continue to grow. “I’ve worked tirelessly to build a legacy and to create more opportunities for others to come in. I’m committed to breaking barriers so that one day, the next generation of female transporters, drivers or operators won’t have to work so hard to get a foot in this door. I am extremely proud of what we are achieving and still striving to achieve. Sekunjalo is now a well-known name in the industry for both our great performance as well as our women empowerment initiatives. The hard work and sacrifices are paying off. Our company has proven that women-owned and managed companies can stand head and shoulders with the rest – if not even taller.”