Exhibitor Press Releases

The research chair is expected to become a catalyst for groundbreaking discoveries, stronger partnerships and lasting impact that can improve mining safety, support economic growth and contribute to a more sustainable future in the southern African region. It will provide funding for an initial period of three years for postgraduate research in the field.

Traditionally, rock engineering research in South Africa has focused on the country’s gold mines. The layout challenges of shallow mines in the Bushveld Complex for platinum group metals, chromium and vanadium have largely been ignored. The research chair will enable the department’s research activities to be expanded to the Bushveld Complex and the Great Zimbabwe Dyke to advance the country’s economy.

“This research chair is an important vehicle to enable fundamental rock engineering research on the layouts and rock types found in these mines,” said Professor Wynand Steyn, Dean of the EBIT Faculty. “It demonstrates what’s possible when academia and industry come together with a common purpose: to generate knowledge that makes a tangible difference.”

Mining has played a defining role in South Africa’s economic development and continues to be fundamental to the prosperity of the country and the region. Yet the industry faces increasingly complex technical, safety and sustainability challenges that demand new thinking, rigorous scientific enquiry and highly skilled professionals.

“As a leading research-intensive university, UP is committed to producing knowledge that not only advances academic excellence, but contributes to solving real-world problems,” Prof Steyn said. Its vision, he added, is to create a future in which its research serves society, drives innovation and supports sustainable development across Africa and beyond.

The establishment of this research chair reflects that commitment and builds on South Africa’s rich legacy of excellence in rock engineering research, while helping to strengthen a field that has seen a decline in research capacity over recent decades. Importantly, it creates an opportunity to develop new knowledge that will enhance the safety and productivity of mining operations in the Bushveld Complex and the Great Zimbabwe Dyke – regions of enormous strategic importance to the global mining industry.

“Research chairs are not only about advancing science; they’re about nurturing the next generation of researchers, engineers and innovators,” Prof Steyn noted.

Through postgraduate education, mentorship and collaborative research, this initiative will help develop the expertise that South Africa and Africa need well into the future.

Prof Steyn concluded his address by expressing appreciation for Valterra Platinum’s confidence in UP and for recognising the value of long-term investment in research.

“Partnerships such as this demonstrate that industry and academia can achieve far more together than either can achieve alone.”

In his address, Prof Francois Malan, Head of the Department of Mining Engineering, provided historical context, emphasising that early research in mining engineering was identified as an essential need after the Coalbrook mining disaster at the Clydesdale Colliery in 1960. A large part of the mine collapsed following the structural disintegration of about 900 underground coal support pillars; 437 miners died.

“Although government support of mining research has waned since the turn of the century, the mining industry’s problems have not diminished,” Prof Malan said. “It’s now up to industry to provide the necessary funding for vital academic research in this area.”

He explained that the proposed research to be conducted as part of the research chair will focus on critical topics to improve the productivity and safety of the mines in the Bushveld Complex and Great Zimbabwe Dyke.

Postgraduate research in this field will be supervised by internationally recognised rock engineering researchers associated with the Department of Mining Engineering, such as Prof Malan and Prof John Napier, whose expertise has been acknowledged by the International Society for Rock Mechanics. Several master’s and doctoral studies are underway as part of the research chair. The department encouraged mining engineers engaged in work in the field – especially those from the sponsoring company and others who deal with challenges related to mine layouts and pillar design in gold and platinum mines – to participate in the activities of the research chair. Prof Malan also welcomed collaboration with UP’s Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering.

“At a time when industries are being reshaped by artificial intelligence and digitalisation, it’s a privilege for Valterra Platinum to support research in this critical field,” said Willie Theron, Executive Head: Mining Operations at Valterra Platinum. Theron, a UP alumnus who completed his master’s research in the Department of Mining Engineering, also shared his belief that mining remains a critical industry for the country’s future: “The onus is on us to ensure the continued livelihood of the many communities affected by mining in South Africa.”

He noted that Valterra Platinum’s responsibility to produce and market strategic metals has led to its emergence as a standalone company that supports more than 40 000 livelihoods, directly and indirectly.

“In alignment with our purpose of unearthing value to better our world, we believe that, although the metals we produce are vital for progress, this cannot be to the detriment of families and communities – which is why we subscribe to the imperative of zero-harm and encourage research that contributes to this imperative,” Theron said.

Theron recognised that the long-term success of the industry depends on knowledge, innovation and skills development, and said he believed the research chair would facilitate the advanced research that the industry needs. At a time of unprecedented technological advancement and a drive towards safety in the mining industry, it also provides the opportunity to cultivate new expertise and create opportunities for future generations of graduates.

“The prospect of developing new skills, advancing research and helping to shape meaningful and rewarding careers in this field is extremely exciting for us, not only as a company, but as an industry,” Theron said.

He added that the proposed research topics being considered speak to the challenges of industry and those that Valterra Platinum faces, from optimised multi-reef extraction strategies to pillar design research and pillar behaviour.

“We welcome collaboration and the introduction of new knowledge because, as much as we have an incredible natural mineral endowment in southern Africa, this is an incredibly competitive global industry, and we need to ensure the sustainability of the industry.”

Theron said the research chair is an investment in Valterra Platinum’s long-term sustainability, and an investment in young people and the country’s economic prosperity.

“We anticipate it strengthening our talent pipeline, building academic interest in mining, and fostering the research and innovation required to solve the complex challenges that will benefit the industry as a whole.”