Gold Fields’ South Deep Mine, along with Sibanye-Stillwater, AngloGold Ashanti, Mienara, Phahama School of Specialisation, and Westcol TVET, has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to help close the skills gap and create jobs as part of the Siyakha Sonke collaborative initiative
A drone view shows queued dump trucks at Gold Fields Mine in Tarkwa, Ghana. Image credit: Reuters/Francis Kokoroko/File Photo
These initial MoUs bring together mining companies, educational institutions, and growth sectors such as renewable energy and manufacturing to prepare people for employment in a rapidly changing economy.
Additional partnerships are currently being explored and developed.
In the West Rand, where mining remains a major employer, unemployment, particularly among young people, remains a critical challenge.
Building together
Siyakha Sonke, which means “we are building together”, is a multi-stakeholder initiative catalysed by Gold Fields’ South Deep Mine and piloted in the West Rand, supporting long-term social investments in the regions where it mines, designed to create measurable outcomes and enduring value beyond the life of mine.
The programme seeks to align and strengthen efforts across industry, education, and other stakeholders, helping develop a scalable model that improves pathways to employment and supports more resilient local economies over the long term.
As technology, innovation and automation reshape industries, the programme aims to ensure that skills development keeps pace with changing workforce requirements and that communities are better prepared for future opportunities.
“The resources we mine are not infinite, and technology is advancing rapidly. We need to close the gap between the skills required today and those needed tomorrow by developing capabilities that are future-ready and transferable across mining and other growth industries,” said Benford Mokoatle, senior vice president for Gold Fields South Africa.
Laying the groundwork
To support greater collaboration, Siyakha Sonke held its first working group meeting in June 2026, bringing together stakeholders to map regional assets, identify collaboration opportunities and develop practical pilot initiatives that strengthen links between education, training and employment.
The programme is laying the foundation for four key workstreams that align skills development with industry demand, identify transferable skills that support mobility across sectors, strengthen pathways to employment, and foster collaboration among industry, education institutions, government and other stakeholders.
Thabisile Phumo, executive vice president of stakeholder relations at Sibanye-Stillwater, said: “As the mining industry evolves, the skills required by our workforce will also change.
“This partnership allows us to identify potential replacement skills and create pathways for employees and communities to transition into successor economies.
“This is an important element of preparing for the future and strengthening the resilience of communities beyond the life of the mine.”
