South Africa is facing three key challenges: energy shortages, water scarcity, and the lack of skills in digitalisation. A new collaboration between African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) and the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of the Witwatersrand aims to develop the high-level skills required to address these issues.
Dr Patrice Motsepe, founder and executive chairman of ARM, a Wits University alumnus and recipient of an honorary doctorate degree, said, “ARM is proud to partner with Wits University which is a globally respected academic institution. Partnering with South African institutions of higher learning is paramount in our pursuit of knowledge, innovation, skills, and sustainable development.
“Public-private partnerships are crucial in addressing the socio-economic and environmental challenges confronting our communities and country. ARM works with several top universities across South Africa, supporting young people from undergraduate to post-graduate studies, helping them to realise their dreams. Some of these students come from communities neighbouring our mining operations. We also contribute to the development and upliftment of poor rural and urban communities in South Africa by educating students from these communities,” he said.
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The programme aims to develop and sharpen a critical mass of skills in South Africa through supporting a new cohort of postdoctoral fellows who will specialise in water resource management, digitalisation, and work towards a ‘just energy’ transition. ARM will sponsor a R20m endowment, which will be invested into perpetuity. The investment return on the endowment will be used to support research in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment.
“We recognise the importance of digital transformation in the mining industry, and the necessity to develop the critical skills needed to advance our economy,” says Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, vice-chancellor and principal of Wits University. “This investment is firmly located in the Wits University mining precinct and dovetails with our broader initiatives in quantum computing, fintech and innovation. We are confident that through more private sector partnerships like the ARM Postgraduate Fellowship Programme, Wits University can help make a real difference in developing the critical skills and research needed to secure the long-term sustainability of the mining industry.”
Professor Thokozani Majozi, the dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment adds, “The faculty recognises the urgency of transitioning to a more sustainable and just energy system. Research and promotion of accessible, affordable, and socio-economically just renewable energy solutions are our top priorities. Water is a critical resource, and we aim to contribute to the sustainable management of water resources through research, education, increased awareness and community engagement. This includes addressing challenges related to water scarcity, pollution, and climate change.”
The partnership between ARM and Wits University will also see the current Chamber of Mines building on the Braamfontein West Campus being renamed the Wits African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) building.
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