South32, Nominee for Established ESG Leader for a Resources Producer, 2024 Africa Awards

About the Nominee & their Nomination

South32 is a globally diversified mining and metals company. Our purpose is to make a difference by developing natural resources, improving people’s lives now and for generations to come. With a focus on growing our base metals exposure, we also have two development options in North America and several partnerships with junior explorers around the world.

South32 has operations in America, Southern Africa, and Australia. In Southern Africa there are 4 operations: 

• Hillside Aluminium – located in Richards Bay, South Africa 
• Manganese Mine – located in Kalari region of Northen Cape, South Africa 
• Manganese Smelter – located in Meyerton, South Africa (under care and maintenance).
• Mozal Aluminium – located in Maputo, Mozambique. The project we are nominating is related to this Operation.

We are headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, with several offices in the jurisdictions in which we operate. Our regional head office for Southern Africa operations is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Initiative: Malhampsene Basic School – Access to Education for Local Communities

South32 (Mozal Ops) has upgraded and expanded the Malhampsene Basic School in Maputo Province, Mozambique, with an investment of over US$ 1.8 million. The school, previously in a state of severe disrepair, had over 50% of its students studying outdoors under trees and others in overcrowded classrooms due to inadequate and lack of educational infrastructure. 

The company worked closely with the local government and community to understand the requirements for upgrading the school and providing improved learning facilities for the students. 

The newly upgraded facilities now include a total of 21 classrooms, administrative blocks, sanitary facilities, and other essential educational infrastructure, benefiting more than 4,000 children from local communities. 

These improvements are contributing to more inclusive and equitable quality education, and promoting long-term learning opportunities for local communities. 

The project has increased student access to education from 50% to 100% and now serves a community of more than 15,000 people.  It has also reduced the issue of overcrowded classrooms (from 80 students to 50 students per classroom).

In addition to these upgrades, the school has been equipped with energy-efficient lighting throughout the facility. This reduces the school’s carbon footprint and lowers energy costs while also creating a more conducive learning environment by ensuring consistent and adequate lighting. This sustainable upgrade aligns with South32’s broader commitment to sustainable development and environmental leadership. 

The construction activities were carried out by a local supplier, supporting our localization efforts, and generating over 173 jobs for the community members. 

Highlights

For the Malhampsene Basic School we have covered the following ESG examples: 

• Environment (Energy Efficiency) – The design and installation of energy-efficient lighting is a demonstration of our commitment to reduce carbon footprint and efficient management of natural resource.  
• Social – Provision of improved infrastructure for promotion of learning opportunities for local communities. Job opportunity for local communities and procurement opportunities for local companies for diversification for local economy. 
• Governance – Enhancing governance and management capacity to ensure the efficient maintenance of the school, preserving the infrastructure for future generations. This was critical for us because the old existing buildings were in advanced stage of degradation due to the lack of regular maintenance.