engineering 10
E N G I N E E R I N G
country is also a major producer of base future mining projects are controlled by
metals and coal, and is the world’s fourth- black-owned firms.
largest producer of diamonds. Gold, once
the mainstay of the South African economy, As a major mining country, South Africa’s
has diminished in importance as the coun- strengths include a high level of technical
try’s economy has diversified. In the 1970s and production expertise as well as com-
and 1980s, gold exports were the predomi- prehensive research and development
nant source of foreign exchange earnings, activities. The country has world-scale pri-
with mining contributing around 14% of
mary processing facilities for iron and steel,
total value added in the economy. This has
ferromanganese, ferrochromium, ferrova-
shifted over time and, in 2007, mining and
nadium, ferrosilicon, stainless steel, cop-
quarrying contributed about 5.8% to the
per, nickel, zinc, aluminium, manganese,
country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
silicon, manganese dioxide and uranium
oxide in addition to gold and platinum.
Ownership, access and opportunity in re-
The beneficiation, or adding of value to raw
gard to the country’s mineral resources are
mineral materials before export, has been
regulated by the Minerals and Petroleum
identified by the government as a priority,
Resources Development Act, Act 28 of 2002,
but will require large investments in educa-
which recognises the state’s custodianship
tion, research and infrastructure to achieve
over the country’s mineral resources.
successfully on a larger scale. The use of
high-quality steel in the local automotive
Transformation is a key issue facing the
industry, the local production of automo-
South African mining sector. Equitable
tive catalytic converters, and gold and plati-
access to mineral resources and opportu-
num jewellery are examples of significant
nities have been legislated, with meaning-
added-value products.
ful participation of historically disadvan-
taged individuals the subject of the indus-
try’s black economic empowerment (BEE)
10.9 Electronic and aeronauti-
charter.
cal engineering
Currently, more than 70% of the mining
industry’s labour force is black, yet less
than 5% of managerial positions are held
S
outh Africa has a small but vibrant
electronics industry, with leading-
edge products in security, wireless
by black people. Targets have been set by communication, defence and aeronautics.
the government, and by 2009, all mining Locally produced automotive security sys-
companies are expected to have 40% of tems, vehicle tracking systems and satellite
managerial positions held by previously television (TV) decoding systems are ex-
disadvantaged South Africans. Other tar- port products of the local industry. Lead-
gets over the next ten years include the ing-edge pre-paid systems for electricity
transfer of 26% of mining assets to black- were developed and are implanted locally
owned companies, ensuring that 51% of on a significant scale. High-end electronic
271
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