Once a gold mining Mecca, Johannesburg is a prime example of a mining community that has diversified its economy successfully from its reliance on mining to become an “economic powerhouse” on the African continent over the past 100 years, states Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation revitalisation of distressed mining communities chief director Kailash Bhana. Nonetheless, while Johannesburg has successfully made the transition, other towns and cities in South Africa are struggling to do so. Chamber of Mines (CoM) spokesperson Charmane Russell says, despite the mining industry’s contribution to skills training and infrastructure and entrepreneurship development, more needs to be done to address the legacies of inequality, unemployment and poverty throughout the country.
