By: OrePulse

Gold Fields has launched a 10-year program aimed at preparing young South Africans for careers across the mining industry and its wider value chain, piloting the initiative in the West Rand region around its South Deep gold mine ahead of a planned national rollout.

The program, called Siyakha Sonke, was launched about 10 months ago and comes as South Africa's official unemployment rate climbed to 33.6% in the second quarter of 2026, up from 32.7% in the first quarter. Benford Mokoatle, Gold Fields' executive vice president for South Africa, said the initiative targets work readiness across several sectors beyond mining itself, including manufacturing, renewable energy and agro-processing.

As part of the rollout, South Deep signed memoranda of understanding in October with several partners: Sibanye-Stillwater, AngloGold Ashanti, Mienara, Phahama School of Specialisation and Westcol TVET College. The partnerships are intended to create structured pathways linking training programs to employment opportunities at South Deep, near Westonaria, before the program expands nationally.

Mokoatle said the goal was "creating practical pathways from learning to employment," rather than training without a clear route into jobs. He said it was too early in the program to provide a specific target for the number of jobs it expects to create, citing the early stage of the pilot phase in the West Rand.

The initiative reflects a broader push by major mining companies operating in South Africa to address chronic youth unemployment, which has remained a persistent challenge even as some sectors of the economy have shown signs of recovery. Mining companies have faced sustained pressure from government and labor groups to expand local skills development and employment programs, particularly in regions historically dependent on mining for jobs.

Gold Fields has not disclosed the total funding committed to the Siyakha Sonke program or a specific timeline for expanding it beyond the West Rand pilot. The company said further details on the planned national rollout, including which regions would come next, would be announced as the program develops further, and additional training partners could still be added as the pilot phase in the West Rand progresses toward a wider national footprint.