Pinpoint Stewards will be hosting the 5th Annual Women and Leadership in Mining Conference, taking place on 1–2 September at the Indaba Hotel in Johannesburg. This year’s event centres on the theme: to Develop, Unite and Empower – It’s DUE!
The conference aims to profile women across the mining value chain and show that a diverse workforce statistically adds to production and productivity levels. As industry recognizes the value of women in their workforce their equity compliance efforts are recognized by regulators, councils and peers and they are ultimately viewed as a progressive and inclusive employer of choice.
The conference is aptly name Women AND Leadership in Mining to ensure men are included to attain why targets set out by charters, frameworks and policies are not achieved at a faster rate.
Two of the men joining this years’ speaker faculty include: Fred Arendse (President, Junior Mining Council) will spotlight the persistent barrier of the Gender Pay Gap, addressing occupational segregation and the motherhood penalty, which results in up to 35% lower earnings for women and Foyn Molete (Chief SHERQ Officer, Evander Gold Mine – Pan Africa Resources Subsidiary), an executive with over 20 years of industry experience, will address “Building inclusive leadership cultures: empowering women for sustainable growth in Mining.”
The only mining conference committed to introducing 12 new voices to the podium each year in its fifth consecutive year.
Key Speakers and Agenda Highlights
- Mbali Malinga (VP Human Resources, HR Services – SA Operations, Sibanye-Stillwater) will open the discussion on current workforce participation statistics for women and explore what more must be done to drive representation.
- Rebecca Sebelebele (Chief Mine Planner, Gold Fields), a certified Mining Manager and Senior Engineer with over 14 years of multi-commodity experience, will deliberate on the specific leadership skills needed to boost productivity in male-populated environments.
- Nandi Ziphethe (Senior Process Manager, Seriti Power), who famously delivered a 4.5-year greenfield mine from start-up to full rehabilitation with a zero-harm record, will speak on “The leader’s shadow: building safer, high-performance teams – one conversation at a time.”
- Tebogo Leepile (Group Manager – Stakeholder Relations, Exxaro) will discuss “Addressing ESG with a gender lens: beyond compliance to social value,” sharing insights from architecting Exxaro’s proactive social impact strategy.
- Nanji Sheni (Business Development Manager, MEAC, Wood Group), who earned four promotions in five years, will address “Cultural resistance at the face: tackling deep-seated bias in teams.”
- Mulalo Olga Mudau (Pit Superintendent Load & Haul Mining Operations, Valterra Platinum), who rose from a general worker to managing over 160 people, will present a personal reflection titled “Leading without armour: a journey through mining, identity and growth.”
- Lebogang Makinita (Safety Officer, WCM Samancor) will unpack “The silent struggle: young women navigating power politics and survival in mining,” drawing from her extensive field experience in plant and underground safety management.
- Dipalesa Lekhanya (Director, Trinity Naturals & SIOC-CDT Trust Fund Board Member) will lead a vital session deliberating on how Preferential Procurement for women-owned businesses directly benefits the mining sector.
Feature Panel: Women in Tech
A headline panel discussion titled “Driving excellence in mining and mentoring more women in technical roles: Moving from resistance to results” will bring together top engineering minds, including:
- Dr Khuthadzo Mudzanani (R&D Engineer, Mintek), recipient of the 2024 Mintek APEX Young Researcher Award and 2025 AWIMA Leadership Award.
- Patience Nyatwa (Engineering Manager, Sedibeng Iron Ore), who successfully improved plant availability by 12% and delivered R40-million in infrastructure projects under strict MHSA statutory compliance.
Pinpoint Stewards also sponsor 20 young professionals at post-graduate level to attend the conference to be inspired, seek a mentor, and are introduced to a room full of opportunities towards their working career.
The 5th Annual Women and Leadership in Mining Conference is a must-attend event for mining executives, HR professionals, compliance officers and emerging leaders looking to shape the blueprint for the next five years of equity in mining.
To participate as a delegate, empowerment partner, sponsor – email info@pinpointstewards.co.za
