The upcoming national elections presents risks and opportunities. Communities are unhappy with the lack of service delivery by government and often look to the private sector, especially mining companies to fill the gap. Communities express their discontent by protesting, in many instances, at the mine gate.
Furthermore, research undertaken by the Minerals Council indicated that there was an opportunity for the entity to connect more closely with community members, including mine-based employees.
Communication response
The Minerals Council has taken this opportunity to communicate the positive impact of mining to the lives of employees, communities and all South Africans through its contribution to the fiscus, taxes and royalties, by providing jobs and benefits, education and training and by investing in social projects and infrastructure.
The highly visual and extensive #MiningMatters campaign is an initiative that aims to provide accurate, honest and balanced information about the mining industry’s contribution to South Africa.
The initiative was rolled out in April and is currently still in progress. The approach is multi-faceted and includes.
- Radio adverts and interviews on community radio stations that reach audiences in local mining communities.
- Media releases and interviews with national news outlets.
- An extensive social media campaign on all Minerals Council social media platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn and X.
- Visual and informative animations.
- Fact sheets containing information related to mining’s contribution to communities, employees and South Africans from both an industry and sector perspective.
- An online platform on the Minerals Council website which serves as an easily accessible platform which hosts all relevant information.
Outcome
The initiative is currently in progress and expected to conclude after the election. Various news publications have published and broadcast relevant information which serves to inform and educate audiences about the important contribution that mining makes to lives and livelihoods. We are also observing extensive engagement among audiences on the social media front.
