Mogale Tailings Retreatment is connecting young people in the West Rand with careers, training and mentorship while transforming historic mine waste through more sustainable mining practices.
The Pan African Resources operation recently held its inaugural Gold Tailings Career Awareness Day at Mandisa Shiceka Specialised School, exposing local students, graduates and job seekers to opportunities in gold tailings management, reprocessing and mine rehabilitation.
Held on 20 August 2026, the initiative brings together two important challenges facing South Africa: youth unemployment and the environmental legacy of historic mining.
Gold tailings were historically regarded simply as mining waste. Today, responsible reprocessing is increasingly contributing to a more circular approach to mining, where remaining resources can be recovered while old mining areas are rehabilitated.
Through advanced hydro-mining and grade-control planning, MTR is remining old waste dumps to economically recover remaining low-grade gold while contributing to environmental clean-up.
This changing approach is also creating demand for a wider range of skills.
During the career awareness day, young people engaged directly with environmental engineers, hydrologists, safety managers and drone operators, providing participants with exposure to careers that demonstrate how technology and environmental management are becoming increasingly important within the mining sector.
Students and job seekers were also introduced to bursary and internship opportunities, local apprenticeships and university funding. Interactive demonstrations provided practical examples of how technology can be used to treat and stabilise mine residue areas.
The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) participated through dedicated mentorship circles aimed at increasing diversity and supporting students interested in entering mining and metallurgy.
For MTR, providing young people with greater visibility of these opportunities is an important part of ensuring that communities surrounding mining operations can participate in the industry’s evolving skills landscape.
“We cannot build a sustainable future without bringing our youth to the table and opening up opportunities,” said Oriel Shikwambana, General Manager at MTR.
Shikwambana said gold tailings management is no longer simply about compliance but has developed into an innovative, technology-driven sector.
“The initiative equips local talent with portable, high-value skills to prevent economic decay and turn old mining landscapes into safe, productive areas for our communities,” he said.
The Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) also supported the career exhibition, helping provide learners from disadvantaged communities with guidance, mentorship and insight into opportunities available within the mining industry.
MTR Training Officer Mlondolozi Makuni said the initiative places particular emphasis on women and young people as part of efforts to advance transformation within the sector.
The combination of career exposure, mentorship, education funding and practical demonstrations gives young people a clearer understanding of the pathways available within an industry increasingly shaped by technology, environmental responsibility and resource recovery.
For West Rand communities, this creates an opportunity for the rehabilitation of historic mining landscapes to deliver a broader social dividend by connecting local young people to skills, education and potential employment.
“Pan African Resources, through our MTR operations, looks forward to advancing inclusivity in the sector through collaboration between public and private partners in the West Rand area,” Makuni said.
