Emigration causes decline in mining skills

"Projects that were in the pre-feasibility stage are now moving onto feasibility studies and those that are already in the bankable feasibility stage are progressing to the implementation stage," Strachan says. However, the industry's main challenge remains a lack of skilled labour as a result of increased emigration during the 2006 and 2007 economic boom. Another challenge faced by the industry is increased cost of services owing to the lack of skills.

According to Mining Weekly, Strachan believes it would be expensive and difficult to bring these individuals back to South Africa owing to the country's unstable politics and high crime rate and, while outsourcing can be an improved outcome for certain companies, services always come at an increased cost. Strachan believes that the global trend in the mining industry is to use less labour and introduce more mechanisation, but, he says, this also comes at a cost.

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