3580 Assessing the socio-economic impact of a zinc mine in South Africa through the application of digital tools: A case study

The global mining industry is undergoing significant technological shifts to modernise, improve operational sustainability, and align with the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) agenda. These trends are not unique to South African mines but are coupled with the complexities of mine closure dependencies and social license to operate while also grappling with the historical legacy of mining in the country. However, despite considerable corporate social investment annually, the overall impact or social return on investment is marginally understood. Addressing this gap, the Minerals Council South Africa developed digital ESG tools; the training-needs assessment tool, community-social needs assessment, small, micro, and medium enterprise (SMME) communications and engagement tool, digital leadership competencies gap assessment tool, and change management blueprint were designed and customised to the mining context. These digital tools enabled gathering information, establishing regional and operational baselines, and ensuring the maximum return on social investment, specifically in socio-economic transformation development interventions. These tools have not been applied to a zinc mine context. This study aimed to apply and validate the insights collected through these digital tools in host communities surrounding zinc mines in the Northern Cape, South Africa. The study was conducted in September 2023 across five host communities with 120 participants completed the training needs, community-social needs, and SMME communications and engagement tools. It was found that the digital ESG tools could provide insights relating to the needs of the mine in near real-time, as they proved practical and applicable.