TOURISM AND MINING
THE MINING SUMMIT The Mining Summit in February 2000 in a tripartite agreement between Government, Labour and Business agreed, inter alia, on strategies to promote South Africa’s mining industry with the ultimate objective of creating more job opportunities. One of the strategies agreed was to promote the concept of mining and tourism. Out of the Summit came the formation of a Sector
Partnership Committee {SPC} coordinating five implementing structures, one of which is the Mining Industry Promotion Implementing Structure {MIPIS}. Among a number of other tasks this Implementing Structure has the responsibility to develop the strategy of promoting nationally and
internationally the linkage between mining and tourism.
TOURISM AS AN ECONOMIC GROWTH SECTOR The White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa published in May 1996 noted that up to that time tourism development in this country had largely been a missed opportunity and that tourism played a relatively small role in the economy of South Africa with a contribution to the Gross Domestic Product {GDP} in the vicinity of 4%. Nevertheless, it concluded that South Africa’s resource base and potential for the development of the tourist industry was phenomenal. The White Paper went on to emphasise that the country’s tourism attractiveness lay in its diversity. It identified some of the features which
make South Africa an incredibly attractive tourism proposition including accessible wildlife, varied and impressive scenery, unspoiled wilderness areas, diverse cultures, a generally sunny and hot climate, no “jet lag” from Europe, a well-developed infrastructure and virtually unlimited opportunities for special interest activities such as whale-watching, white water rafting, hiking, bird-watching, bush survival, deep-sea fishing, hunting and diving. In addition, unique archaeological sites, battlefields, the availability of excellent conference and exhibition facilities, a wide range of sporting facilities, good
DRAFT
1
communication and medical services, internationally known attractions {Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope, Sun City, Kruger National Park, the Garden Route, Maputaland} and unrivalled opportunities to visit other regional internationally known attractions {e.g., Victoria Falls and the Okavango Swamps} make South Africa an almost complete tourist destination.
Since the publication of the White Paper tourism in South Africa has grown by leaps and bounds and is rapidly becoming one of the world’s sought-after tourist destinations with concomitant growth in its share of the GDP and in the variety of work opportunities that have become available. There is still
enormous potential for tourism development. The responsible Government Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has clearly spelt out its vision and mission for the development of tourism and various tourism organisations such as South African Tourism {previously Satour} have been restructured. The private sector has acknowledged the tremendous potential of the tourist industry and has given its support in a multitude of ways. Despite mining’s heritage in South Africa and its past, present and future importance to the economy of the country as well as its operations all around the country, with historical significance and potential tourist attractiveness, it is noteworthy that the White Paper did not perceive any opportunities for tourism related to mining and did not identify any possible linkages between the country’s major economic sector and the potential to use the mining industry as part of the expansion plans for the tourist sector. SOUTH AFRICA’S MINING HERITAGE “This diamond is the rock upon which the future success of South Africa will be built”; so said Richard Southey, the Colonial Secretary of the Cape in 1867, when referring to the discovery of the Eureka diamond. This may very well have been a spur of the moment hyperbole, but rarely have truer words been spoken. The mining industry has since then provided the foundation for economic growth and development in the domestic economy.
DRAFT
2
In fact, the mining sector has played a major role in elevating South Africa to the level of the most developed country by far in Africa. The discovery of diamonds and then gold led to an influx of capital and skills and enhanced technology, which provided the impetus for the development of the country’s infrastructure. They were instrumental in the establishment of secondary
industry and tertiary services during the first half of the twentieth century and provided employment to hundreds of thousands of people throughout Southern Africa. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange, currently the world’s 17th largest stock exchange, was established to accommodate the capital requirements of the mining industry. These are direct contributions. The
fundamental nature of the mining industry means that a number of multiplier effects come into play, i.e., the overall contribution is bigger than the direct contribution. Mining and related activities continue to drive growth,
investment and industrialisation in South Africa.
Although diamonds, gold, coal and platinum group metals mining have achieved the most prominence, it is fitting to record that South Africa is a veritable minerals treasure chest. In 2001, some 55 different minerals were produced from over 700 mines and quarries. Mineral commodities were
exported to 87 countries. Only two strategic minerals are problematic in terms of domestic production in the country – Crude oil is unavailable in reasonable quantities and bauxite is not commercially exploitable.
Part of the heritage of mining in South Africa has been its role in the development of cities and towns around the production and beneficiation sites. Numerous towns have been established because of mining or have grown from small agricultural villages to mining towns. Among these, without being inclusive, one thinks of Kimberley, Johannesburg, the Reef towns of Germiston, Benoni, Boksburg, Brakpan, Springs, Maraisburg, Florida, Roodepoort, Krugersdorp and Randfontein, Westonaria, Carletonville,
Stilfontein, Klerksdorp, Orkney, Witbank, Ermelo, Bethal, Secunda, Kinross, Leslie, Vryheid, Dundee, Molteno, Rustenburg, Cullinan, Potgietersrust, Ellisras, Messina, Phalaborwa, Eersteling, Pilgrims Rest, Barberton,
DRAFT
3
Steelpoort, Sishen, Kathu, O’Kiep, Springbok, Welkom, Odendaalsrust and Allanridge.
Growing towns presented new market opportunities for commercial agriculture. The demand for raw materials necessitated a network of roads and railways linking the interior to the ports.
Mining created a demand for engineers and artisans and a broad range of other professional skills. In 1896 the South African School of Mines was established in Kimberley followed in 1904 by the Transvaal Technical Institute, the forerunner of the University of the Witwatersrand. The University of Pretoria also established a Department of Engineering and most of the other Universities set up Geology Departments.
EXISTING TOURISM IN MINING
The major mining areas are set out below highlighting some of the mining operations. In certain cases there is already a fair amount of tourist activity. Gauteng – Johannesburg including Gold Reef City, diamond cutting and jewellery manufacturing and design. the Witwatersrand other than Johannesburg, including industrialisation around supplies to the mining industry e.g., electricity, water, explosives, steel, etc., and the development of the rail links to the ports. the remainder of Gauteng including gold at Westonaria and Carletonville, uranium as a by-product of the gold mines, Eskom power stations, Iscor steel plants, Ferro-steel, coal around Vereeniging and diamonds at Cullinan, including cutting and jewellery manufacture. Mpumalanga including gold at Kinross, Barberton, Pilgrims Rest and Sabie, the coalfields around Witbank, Bethal, Middelburg and Ermelo, Eskom power stations and Secunda, including iron ore and asbestos mining in Swaziland. Limpopo (formerly the Northern Province) including chrome ore, ferrochrome and vanadium around Steelpoort, platinum group metals, copper at Phalaborwa and Messina, Mica, diamonds at Venetia, coal at Ellisras, DRAFT 4
iron ore at Thabazimbi, tin at Rooiberg and the Waterberg coal deposits, gold at Eersteling and Giyani. North West Province including gold at Stilfontein, Klerksdorp and Orkney, platinum group metals at Rustenburg and its environs, asbestos at Pomfret. Northern Cape Province including diamonds at Kimberley and its surrounds, semi-precious stones including tiger’s eye at Griquatown and Postmasberg, and Hopetown, iron ore at Sishen and the iron ore railway line from Sishen to Saldanha Bay, the steel development at Saldanha Bay, manganese around Kathu and Hotazel, copper at Prieska and Copperton, copper in Namaqualand, particularly Springbok and O’Kiep, zinc and lead at Aggeneys and Gamsberg, diamonds at Alexander Bay, Kleinzee and Koingnaas. Free State including gold at Welkom, Odendaalsrust, Allanridge and Virginia, diamonds at Koffiefontein, Bultfontein and Jagersfontein, coal in the northern Free State and Sasolburg. Kwazulu Natal including coal around Dundee, Weenen and Vryheid, steel production at Newcastle, titanium in the Richards Bay area, the development of the aluminium industry at Richards Bay, the coal railway line from Broodsnyersplaas to Richards Bay and the development of coal exports from Richards Bay. Eastern Cape Province including the first South African coal discoveries around Molteno, Maclear, Ugie, Eliot, Indwe and Dordrecht. Western Cape Province including early gold mining at Millwood outside Knysna and marine diamond mining.
EMPLOYMENT BY TOURISM IN MINING An attempt was made to obtain statistical information on the number of current jobs held in tourism related to mining. In the case of Cullinan about 400 jobs are provided in jewellery manufacture, direct tourism, agriculture and social investment programmes related to tourism and mining in the area.
It was impossible to obtain any meaningful data that differentiates employment for tourism in mining from other tourism. The mines do not keep DRAFT 5
statistics. A guesstimate would probably be around 4000 employees for the country as a whole. This could rise to a rough estimate of some 10 000 people over a period of three years if tourism in mining projects and other tourism projects in mining towns are developed as expected.
Most mines do not employ more than one or two people specifically for tourist purposes and even in these cases they are also used for other communication and public relations purposes. Senior management are
usually also involved in giving presentations when tourists or VIPs visit a mine.
All mines have some arrangements for VIPs, students and pupils from local schools to visit the mines. It is also clear that most mines are integrated into the local communities and they form part of the potential for tourism which more and more towns are promoting, Kimberley, Barberton and Pilgrims Rest are good examples. The provinces are also beginning to actively promote tourism in mining as part of their general tourism marketing.
In many cases the approach is not to market the mine itself as a tourist destination as such, but to develop tourism in the area as part of the development of complementary non-mining businesses. therefore, in these situations to empower The focus is,
previously disadvantaged
communities in the area by including them in mine tourism initiatives, thus playing a developmental and coordinating role. As part of these initiatives, mines are reaching out to communities, assisting them for example to develop 4x4 trails and to train tour guides.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPANSION OF TOURISM IN MINING
The more one studies the subject, the more opportunities there seem to be for tourism in mining. The most effective route for the mining industry would be to:
promote visits to mines as part of the general promotion of tourism
activities in the area e.g., 4x4 trails, hiking, history, conferences, etc. DRAFT 6
promote educational tours, both local and international, mainly in
conjunction with pre and post conference and seminar tours.
integrate tourism in mining into special tours by tour operators organising
tours in the fields of palaeontology, archaeology, geology, anthropology, culture, history and nature illustrating the origins of our planet, life and humankind.
Some samples of itineraries that are being offered by tour operators or are in the planning stages are listed below:
The Geological Kaleidoscope Tour (18 days)
o o o o o o o o o
Visit a gold mine in “Egoli”, City of Gold Explore the origin of mankind at the Sterkfontein Caves and visit the Kromdraai Gold Mine (1881) View the Premier Diamond Mine in Cullinan Follow the gold rush trail to scenic Barberton and visit a local gold mine See evidence of the earliest formation of the earth’s crust and the earliest forms of life on our planet A chance to see the “Big Five” in the Kruger National Park View the lush scenery of the Great Escarpment : Pilgrim’s Rest, God’s Window, Blyde River Canyon and Bourke’s Luck Potholes Tour the Bushveld Igneous Complex and visit a platinum mine Travel along the Garden Route and see evidence of the formation and break-up of the ancient super-continent of Gondwana and numerous ice ages
o o
Experience the unspoilt wilderness of the Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve and visit the Millwood gold mine near Knysna Visit Oudtshoorn, the ostrich feather capital of the world, the spectacular Swartberg Pass, Seweweekspoort and Meiringspoort and explore the beautiful dripstone formations of the Cango Caves.
o o
See Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope Experience a “geological” wine tasting during a tour of the Cape Winelands
DRAFT
7
The Palaeontology – Anthropology Tour (21 days)
o
Visit Cape Town and travel along the scenic Garden Route to the Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve and the Millwood Gold Mine near Knysna.
o o o o o o
Travel to Port Elizabeth and view the sites of some of the first dinosaur fossils found outside Europe Visit the Addo Elephant Park Travel via Grahamstown through the Great Karoo to Graaf-Reinet and the Valley of Desolation Explore the diamond town of Kimberley and the Big Hole and see the glacial pavements and rock engravings Go underground in a gold mine at Gold Reef City Explore the origin of mankind at the Sterkfontein Caves and view the discovery site of “Mrs. Ples” and “Little Foot”, the hominid discoveries of the century.
o
Travel through the scenic Barberton Mountain land, visit a local gold mine and see evidence of the earliest formation of the earth’s crust and the earliest forms of life on our planet
o o o
Visit the gold rush town of Pilgrim’s Rest A chance to see the “Big Five” in the Kruger National Park and to visit the Albasini ruins. Travel to the Archaeological sites of Thulamela and Mapungubwe near the Limpopo River where we see evidence of 12 Century African civilisation
o o
Visit the dinosaur tracks and fossils at Pontdrif See the historic cave of Makapansgat and some of the oldest “missing link” fossils.
Gauteng’s Historical Gold Tour (1 day). An early start takes us to the top
of Northcliff Hill in the north-western suburbs of Johannesburg, for a panoramic and regional geological overview. We then drive north-west of Krugersdorp to the Magaliesberg to trace the discovery and early production of gold in Gauteng, and end with the founding of Johannesburg in 1886. The tour includes visits to:
DRAFT
8
o o
The old Blaaubank Mine near Magaliesberg started in 1874 for a fascinating guided underground trip The old Kromdraai Mine within the Black Reef formation, centre of the first goldfield proclaimed in 1885. The mine is located within the “Cradle of Humankind”, a World Heritage site
o
Next we visit the scenic Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden near Krugersdorp and see the newly established Geological Rock Garden and walk part of the JCI Geological Trail
o o
After lunch we drive to the Old Struben’s workings dating from 1884, on the Confidence Reef at Kloofendal Thereafter we make our way to the most famous gold discovery site of all, the Main Reef group of conglomerates in George Harrison Park at Langlaagte. It was here in 1886 that George Harrison and George Walker discovered the first “payable gold” on the Witwatersrand
o
Our drive back to Johannesburg takes us through the famous Crown Mines area where we visit a turn of the century mining village, go underground at Gold Reef City and view the reprocessing of old gold mine dumps and into the old inner city mining district
o
We drive past some of the magnificent suburban homes of the Randlords in Parktown
The Eastern Bushveld Complex, Pilgrim’s Rest and the Northern
Drakensberg Escarpment
Diamonds and Daisies in Namaqualand (4 days)
MINING AND THE ENVIRONMENT The mining industry has been focussed in recent years on the need to rehabilitate mining land and many of the programmes and projects are of interest to a variety of tourists. The MMSD and MMSD Southern Africa
Reports have highlighted areas where the mining industry will have to concentrate resources to make mining operations acceptable to compare with modern international benchmarks. The World Summit on Sustainable
Development to be held in Johannesburg from 26 August to 4 September DRAFT 9
2002 will bring many tourists to South Africa and the mining industry is planning visits to mines, which will hopefully provide a perspective of the dynamics of the industry and future opportunities for investment.
CONCLUSION
The Mining Industry Promotion Implementing Structure (MIPIS) has investigated in some depth the present situation related to tourism in mining, including a tentative estimate of the number of jobs being provided in this endeavour. It is clear that there is quite extensive activity around the major mining areas in encouraging tourism.
The role of the MIPIS would be to promote tourism in mining on a national basis, to ensure where possible that new employment opportunities are created in tourism in mining and that municipalities and provinces are aware of the possibilities for tourism in mining and that these are integrated into their tourism promotional activities. At the same time, the MIPIS should promote tourism in mining to the various national and international tour operators.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The MIPIS should continue to investigate the possibilities for expanding mining in tourism. 2. The mine managements should encourage tourism in mining and strive to create linkages between the municipal and provincial tourism activities. 3. Tourism in mining should be integrated with other tourism opportunities that are being encouraged around the country. 4. Tourism in mining should be integrated with tourism opportunities in the fields of palaeontology, archaeology, geology, anthropology, history, culture and nature. DRAFT 10
5. The municipalities and provinces should be encouraged to promote tourism in mining. 6. The MIPIS should investigate what opportunities exist to publicise and promote tourism in mining both nationally and internationally 7. The MIPIS should promote tourism in mining to the various national and international tour operators. 8. The MIPIS should continue to endeavour to refine data on current jobs in tourism in mining and the potential job opportunities. 9. The MIPIS should coordinate its activities with the provinces, the mines, the Chamber of Mines, the Geological Society, the DME, the Institute for Geosciences, Mintek and the Universities. 10. The MIPIS should encourage the tour operators to expand the types of tours available and to publicise them widely. 11. The MIPIS to investigate funding agencies for the promotion on a national basis of tourism in mining. 12. The MIPIS should appoint a champion for tourism in mining. 13. The MIPIS should encourage the use of the guidelines for responsible tourism development.
TOM MAIN 24 January 2009
DRAFT
11