• EXCURSION
Supplied by James Puttick
Abandoned open-pit mine in Mpumalanga.
The closure process involves developing a mine closure plan that considers environmental, social, and economic factors. The closure plan should include strategies for the decommissioning of mining infrastructure, soil remediation, water management and revegetation. 9 Optimisation involves the identification of cost-effective closure methods and the integration of the closure planning into the overall mine planning process. 7 Historical experience shows that the impact of open-pit mining in South Africa extends beyond economic and financial considerations, posing significant risks to local communities. Many communities now hold negative perceptions of mining companies, particularly
Supplied by Tal Makahamadze
Figure 1: Concerning headlines for the mining industry.
due to past practices where resources were extracted without addressing long-term environmental and social consequences. This issue is especially critical in cases where environmental sustainability goals were not prioritised. Figures A and 1 illustrate examples of abandoned open-pit mines, highlighting the challenges caused by the lack of proper closure efforts.
Defining and exploring mine closure During the literature review of the research, several definitions were explored for mine closure as there are multiple variations based on the understanding of different sources. However, the
22 • African Mining • January 2026 www. africanmining. co. za