Singh holds a Master’s degree in mining engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand. He has 20 years of working experience in the mining and minerals sector and his interests lie in mechanised mining. Singh is responsible for driving the South African Mining, Extraction Research, Development and Innovation strategy developed by the CSIR in partnership with government and the private sector. In previous roles, he led the research programme for the occupational health and safety in South Africa and also developed a strategy for the implementation of mechanised mining that served as a technology roadmap that was utilised by local mining operations towards mechanising their mining operations.

About the talk

The South African mining industry has made a significant contribution to the country’s economy for more than a century. Changes in legislation for mining licences, stricter health and safety targets, and stronger focus on reducing the impact on the environment coupled with increasing labour and electricity costs are some of the factors that significantly changed the landscape in which the mining industry now operates. Further to this, low commodity prices force South African mines to seek new, more technically advanced, cost-effective ways of increasing production without compro­mising occupational health and safety. Research, development, and innovation in the mining sector are therefore required to find solutions that are cheaper, safer, and more efficient. Alternative programmes must be developed and put in place to transform South Africa’s comparative mineral endowment advantages into more sustainable and globally competitive strengths. This talk discusses the recently developed and accepted South African Mining Extraction Research, Development and Innovation strategy, which is strongly focused on productivity-related issues in order to ensure that mineral resources can be converted into mineable reserves economically, safely, and with minimal impact on the environment. Furthermore the paper will discuss the opportunities that the revitalisation of mining research, development, and innovation provides for the CSIR.