In South Africa’s rural heartlands, where mining operations have long held sway over the economic landscape, a new conversation is emerging, one that seeks to bridge two giants of the country’s economy: agriculture and mining.
With communities heavily reliant on both sectors, stakeholders argue that collaboration is not just possible, but essential for long-term sustainability, food security, and economic development.
Speaking during a recent panel discussion at Nampo, Bothaville in the Free State, Leona Archary, chief executive officer of the Agricultural Development Agency (Agda), emphasised that mining and agriculture are not mutually exclusive.
“The two worlds exist in the same space, and many of our rural areas have long since been areas where mining has been operating. If one looks at what the alternative long-term kind of economies that also have to thrive in these communities, agriculture actually begins to be the answer,” she said.
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Archary sees agriculture as key to job creation and enterprise development, particularly in areas where mines eventually close. Her belief that a practical approach must be found to ensure these two major economic sectors, mining and agriculture, can coexist and actively support each other.
Renowned farmer David Mthombeni from Mpumalanga shared first-hand experience of how collaboration between agriculture and mining is not only possible, but already yielding results in some areas.
Farmers and mines: A working relationship
“Actually, they can work together for the sake of the economy of the country. And it is doable. I did it. I’m still doing it. To an extent that within the area where we are operating, we are surrounded by gold and coal. And the support that is there is massive,” he said.
Mthombeni called for more deliberate synchronisation between both sectors for the sake of cooperation and national economic resilience.
Mike Teke, chief executive officer of Seriti Resources Holdings, argued that it is not only possible but imperative for mining companies to invest in agriculture.
“You know, if you can’t mine it, you grow it, right? It is important that, as a mining company or a mining business, to develop a relationship. You have to collaborate with the farmer,” he said.
Teke outlined four key areas where mining and agriculture can align: land utilisation, water access, infrastructure development, and security collaboration.
He noted that farmers often take the initiative to lease rehabilitated mining land, which supports national food security. Additionally, he highlighted the role of mining companies in providing treated water, building roads, and sharing security infrastructure, positioning them as essential contributors to agricultural growth.
Long-term economic benefits for mining towns
“You don’t want to mine and leave a ghost town. Farming will continue. We continue to eat. We continue to grow. We continue to build economic development and economic activity,” Teke said.
Lehlohonolo Chabeli, managing director of Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela, a tribal authority in North West, emphasised the importance of skills transfer and sustainable development. He described how more than 140 families in 15 villages have been trained in agriculture, not just to grow food but to pass on knowledge through generations.
“The idea was not just to hand over a vegetable and take pictures, but it was to ensure that the knowledge they have will pass from generation to generation. Now, that’s sustainability.”
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