The Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) says although mining beneficiation is heading towards the right direction, more could be done to achieve this.

The comment by the statutory body responsible for administering a number of skills development initiatives in the mining sector, comes ahead of the African Mining Indaba starting on Monday at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

The event brings together African leaders, industry stakeholders and investors to discuss the responsible development of the continent’s mineral resources amid global geopolitical uncertainty.

Stakeholder Relations Manager at the Mining Qualifications Authority, Carol Maila, says there are many factors that stunt progress that will ensure the country profits from mining beneficiation.

“There is a number of challenges that we have, including energy shortages that we experience, we have issues with poor rail and port logistics. The production cost apparently they are very expensive. We also require infrastructure and competitive electricity so because of that we are struggling a little bit but I think with the critical mineral strategy we can, South Africa can be established as a leader in the renewable energy and immobility and I think we are going in the right direction.”

Meanwhile, Maila says there is a silver lining since they are doing all they can to ensure the country is best placed to reap the rewards of mining beneficiation.

“We look at our curriculum and we do our research through consultation with the sector or the employers to say what exactly do you want us to do in terms of beneficiation. If it’s a topic that we’re speaking about, which is, we say what areas can we skill people in to ensure that beneficiation happens within a country in the right way. What are the skills that are needed and those are called, maybe scarce skills that we don’t have in the country. And then we design them through our partners, the QCTO that does the accrediation and the drafting of curriculum and then we train people in that.”

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