Sephela Makete Thema
Agriculture, mining, sustainability, and the environment
Nominee's Province:
North West
Age:
34
Project Name/Description:
General Manager: Tailings & Remining – Fraser Alexander
Sephela Makete Thema is the general manager responsible for the tailings and re-mining division at mining giant, Fraser Alexander. Thema’s work focuses on transforming mine waste into societal, environmental and economic value. “We provide the mining industry with tailings management, re-mining, water treatment and minerals processing services,” explains the high-achieving Thema, whose achievements include being a Sunday World Unsung Hero, M&G Top 200 Young South Africans, TransUnion Rising Star, UN SDG Young Innovator as well as being named among Africa’s Top 30 Future Leaders in mining. Reflecting on South Africa’s mining sector evolution since democracy, Thema highlights significant regulatory improvements, such as the Minerals Petroleum Resources Development Act of 2002, which enhanced safety and promoted responsible mineral extraction. “At the dawn of democracy, the mining sector became more regulated from a health and safety point of view, which led to a big improvement in safety performance.” He adds that today’s main challenges and opportunities lie in environmental, social, and governance concerns and obtaining the social license to operate. These factors are crucial for the sector’s sustainable future.
