We are guided by our sustainability theme of entrenching long-term economic sustainability: Integrated post-mining economies. We create value by unlocking the potential of communities around our operations.
Highlights from 2022
R362m
invested in socioeconomic development
R177.5m
in dividends paid to community trusts
R21.4bn
BEE procurement spend (75% of total procurement) at SA operations. R2,9bn was spent with 900 doorstep suppliers.
Programme underway to rebuild
communities and ensure socio-
economic sustainability
Lifestyle, health, education
and general welfare activities
sponsored in Keliber host communities
Montana floods
Assisting local communities to recover and rebuild after
the devastating flood in the US operating region
Our socioeconomic objectives are
- Support communities to deliver local socioeconomic benefits through economic empowerment and delivery on Mining Charter and SLP commitments
- Strengthen institutional capacity; unlock and mobilise partnerships and resources to resolve collective challenges
- Deliver on programmes that retain sustainable benefits, as well as social impacts that are well understood by all stakeholders
- Create shared value beyond compliance
- Facilitate integrated spatial development by improving the living conditions and surrounding amenities of our workers
Effective community engagement is a dynamic and evolving process and requires commitment to partnering with governments and other organisations. We engage meaningfully with our stakeholders to ensure we better understand their perceptions of value and deliver accordingly. We have developed a stakeholder perception index which helps in identifying and addressing specific challenges, including employment, legacy issues, transparency and local procurement opportunities.
Our stakeholder engagement process is designed to respect local customs, traditions and cultures while encouraging open, honest and constructive dialogue. For further information, see Position statement: Indigenous people, host communities and mining and Stakeholder Engagement Policy.
A closer look
Sociopolitical instability in South Africa is identified as a material matter for the business.
In South Africa our commitment to socioeconomic development is regulated through social and labour plans (SLPs). According to South Africa’s Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (2002), minerals resources belong to the nation and the state is the custodian thereof. The role of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) is to ensure that mining benefits the people of the country, specifically employees and the surrounding community.
Our efforts include building early childhood development centres near our housing facilities, providing employment and entrepreneurship training, and donating obstetric ambulances to ensure that mothers-to-be have access to safe patient transport.
We invest in community training and development programmes, learnerships and portable technical and vocational skills training and education and research programmes at universities to help strengthen and empower the workforce in host communities.
Through the Bokamoso Ba Rona Agri-industrial Development (BBR) and the Marikana Agri-Hub we are facilitating a just transition to a sustainable post-mining economy. See economic impact for more.
During 2022, dividends to the value of R177.54 million were paid out to the Sibanye Rustenburg Mine Community Development (SRMCD) Trust and Sibanye Rustenburg Mine Employees Trust. The SRMCD Trust’s primary objective is to carry out public benefit activities through development programmes that empower communities adjacent to our mines. In Marikana, dividends to the value of R225 million were paid out to Bapo Ba Mogale LED Trust, Lonplats Marikana Community Development Trust and Lonplats Employee Share Ownership Trust. The trusts play a key role in community upliftment through offering bursaries to local learners and support for small business development, agriculture and early childhood development projects.
SLPS:
- SLP Beatrix Social and Labour Plan 2017 – 2021 English | seSotho
- SLP: Driefontein 2017 – 2021 English | IsiXhosa | seTswana
- SLP: Cooke 2014
- SLP: Kloof 2017 -2021 English | Setswana
- SLP: Eastern Platinum Limited (EPL) 2019 -2023 English | IsiXhosa | Setswana
- SLP: Pandora Platinum Mine (Pty) Ltd 2018 – 2022 English | IsiXhosa | Setswana
- SLP: Sibanye Rustenburg Platinum Mine 2016-2020
- SLP: Western Platinum Proprietary Limited (WPPL) 2019 – 2023 English | IsiXhosa | Setswana
Social upliftment is part of US and Montana regulatory structures, and is included in permitting requirements and tax structures.
Every ounce of metal we produce provides specific financial benefits to local counties. Montana’s Hard-Rock Mining Impact Act (HRMIA,
1981) ensures that large-scale mineral developments do not burden local taxpayers. As the Montana.gov website explains it: ‘In the
impact plan, the developer must identify and commit to pay all increased local government capital and net operating costs that will
result from the development.’
An innovative framework called the Good Neighbors Agreement, developed in collaboration with the local environmental community, ensures that we protect the natural environment while encouraging responsible economic development.
Our CSR initiatives include the Community Giving Team, led by employees committed to supporting charitable and non-profit
interests in and around the communities where our employees live and work. In 2022, the team provided US$388,000 to support local
non-profit organisations. In addition to Sibanye-Stillwater’s support, we worked collaboratively with financing partner Wheaton Precious Metals, who contributed US$168,653 to our local community nonprofit organizations.
In mid-June 2022 we experienced a devastating 500-year flood that caused catastrophic damage in the region, destroying homes,
roads, and bridges, and isolating entire communities. Assisting local communities to recover and rebuild became an added focus of our community giving.
At Keliber, we have engaged in active dialogue with landowners and other neighbours in our areas of operations as part of our environmental impact assessment. The assessment involves reporting the results of our findings, and ensuring we keep the community well-informed about our plans and the expected impacts.
We sponsored 13 activities (relating to environmental issues) as part of Keliber’s community outreach for 2022. We organised two public events: an EIA event relating to the analcime sand storage, and a public community meeting in Kaustinen in March. A media event relating to the investment decision was held in November, raising great interest in the national media. Keliber also participated in the Kokkola Material Week,FinnMateria (mining and metals), Pohjoinen teollisuus and MineProevents; as well as in seminars relating to recruitment, employment and lithium markets. Keliber also participates in the Kokkola Works advertising campaign to enhance our visibility. As the number of employees grows, recruitment and related cooperation in the area have become material and we have also involved educational institutions in our consideration of our future talent pool.
During 2022, Sandouville has supported activities to raise funds to help fight breast cancer. In 2023 Sandouville will be supporting the local La Havre soccer team and promoting breast cancer awareness.
References
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Group Impact Report 2022
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Integrated report 2022: Socioeconomic development
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SLPs: Summary of projects in South Africa 2022
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Fact sheet 2022: Combating illegal mining
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Sibanye-Stillwater’s ICMM self-assessment for 2022
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Fact sheet 2022: The Good Neighbor Agreement
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Marikana Renewal website
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Stakeholder Engagement Policy
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Position statement: Heritage
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Position statement: Indigenous people, host communities and mining
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SA PGM operations: Creating shared value through SLP projects
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Creating shared value: SA Gold operations SLP booklet 2022
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Impact report South Africa 2021
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Fact sheet: Marikana Renewal Programme 2023
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Fact sheet: Creating shared value, August 2023

The Marikana Renewal programme launched in 2020, under the patronage of Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, aims to create a shared legacy of healing and hope in the wake of the tragic events of August 2012.
To learn more about the community development projects under way at Marikana see the dedicated website.