Mpumalanga provincial government has vowed that the green energy movement will never put the lid on mining activities that keep many families fed in the place of the rising sun.
This was the assurance from MEC for Economic Development and Tourism Jesta Sidell when she launched the 2025 Mpumalanga Investment and Mining Conference on Friday. The two-day summit, scheduled for Middelburg from October 2 to 3, will bring together government, private investors and financiers to chart the future of a sector that still defines the province’s economic destiny.
“Mpumalanga has more than 260 mines that our people rely on for livelihoods. We cannot close down these mines. Instead of thinking closure, we are better off exploring renewable options to keep them open,” Sidell said.
Mining remains the bedrock of Mpumalanga’s economy, accounting for a significant slice of GDP. But Sidell admitted the sector cannot sustain growth on its own. She said global headwinds had slowed provincial expansion to just 0.5 percent in 2022, 0.4 percent in 2023 and less than 1 percent this year. Growth forecasts for 2024–2029 sit at a modest 1.6 percent per annum.
Conference deliberations will look ahead
The conference will table hard discussions on sustainability, investor certainty, and how the industry can adapt to international calls for cleaner energy. Stakeholders are expected to grapple with balancing job creation with environmental concerns while addressing the socio-economic cost of mining decline in coal-dependent towns.
The warning signs are already visible. In October 2022, Mpumalanga became the site of South Africa’s first decommissioned coal power station and mine when Komati shut its doors. The closure was hailed globally as part of the Just Energy Transition, but it sent shockwaves through local communities. Jobs were lost, household incomes fell, and small businesses that depended on Komati suffered steep losses. Promised repurposing and retraining programmes moved slowly, leaving families uncertain about their futures.
Earlier this year, Public Works, Roads and Transport MEC Thulasizwe Thomo used Komati as a cautionary tale at the G20 Sustainable Energy Transition session in Cape Town. He said the experience provided “crucial insights into the socio-economic challenges that arise when coal-dependent infrastructure shuts down,” noting that it highlighted the urgent need for just transition strategies that protect workers and communities from sudden unemployment.
Thomo reminded global leaders that Mpumalanga remains the heart of South Africa’s coal economy, producing more than 80 percent of the country’s reserves and hosting 11 of Eskom’s 13 coal-fired power stations. He warned that missteps in decommissioning could deepen inequality in a province where mining and energy still contribute over 20 percent to GDP and employ more than 7 percent of the workforce.
Sounding the death knell on coal
Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and Eskom chief executive Dan Marokane have confirmed that nine more power stations in Mpumalanga are scheduled for closure by 2030, including Camden, Grootvlei, Hendrina, Arnot, Kriel, Tutuka, Duvha, Matla and Kendal. With Komati already gone, the stakes for coal towns could not be higher.
Sidell said the mining conference was designed to ensure that Mpumalanga never repeats Komati’s painful experience. The agenda will include showcasing renewable energy projects, agro-processing ventures and new tourism initiatives that can diversify the economy while protecting thousands of households still dependent on mining.
“We expect to raise a significant amount of capital through pledges and commitments at the conference. This will be a platform for government, business and financiers to strike partnerships and chart Mpumalanga’s economic path,” she said.
Tourism will form a major plank of that path, with ambitions to restore natural attractions and even build new icons to rival Cape Town’s Table Mountain. Agriculture and agro-processing are also being packaged as long-term solutions to create rural value chains and absorb labour from mining towns facing an uncertain future.
Mpumalanga currently contributes 7.8 percent to South Africa’s GDP, ranking fourth among the nine provinces. Sidell said with new investment stimulus, Mpumalanga could rise further while reducing poverty and unemployment.
“This conference is not just an event, it is a testament to our determination to create a thriving, inclusive and sustainable economy,” she said.
The summit follows Premier Mandla Ndlovu’s February State of the Province Address, where he committed the province to hosting a mining indaba that would confront the sector’s future head-on.
