Mission to revive mining through skills

TURNING THE TIDE: FROM APPRENTICE TO ARCHITECT OF TRANSFORMATION, YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

- Masoka Dube

Thabo Mashongoane works tirelessly to develop a skilled workforce to help save South Africa's declining mining sector.

Mashongoane is CEO for the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA), the body responsible for skills development in the mining and minerals sector.

At the MQA, he ensures that the country has the skills needed to "grow sustainably, transform meaningfully and compete globally". Most of the positions he occupied involved training young people to prepare them for the workplace environment.

"As CEO of the MQA, I am tasked with ensuring that South Africa's mining and minerals sector remains competitive, safe and inclusive through sector-specific skills training," he said.

His expertise, accumulated from various fields over the past three decades, makes him one of the prominent leaders tasked with saving the mining industry.

"Mining remains a key contributor to South Africa's GDP, but its long-term sustainability depends on a workforce that is skilled, safe and future-ready."

Under Mashongoane's leadership, the MQA has strengthened its partnerships with mining houses, educational institutions and the government to ensure skills training is relevant and responsive.