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Thesis (M.M. (Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration, 2013. / Purpose Volatility in the external environment increases the level of risk for organisations. Therefore organizations have to adapt to the environment by being entrepreneurial through adoption of entrepreneurship strategies. It is therefore the purpose of this study to determine the perceived value of entrepreneurial orientation and the type of corporate entrepreneurship strategies that are used in the mining industry when firms operate in volatile environments. Data collection For the purpose of this study online questionnaires were utilised. The questionnaires were emailed to the participants through the CEO of the company, the CEO then distributed via email to the targeted managers within the organisation. Response was minimal with only sixteen responses by mid February. The questionnaire was then sent to members of the Chamber of mines, to which there was no response. Questionnaires were then printed out and handed to respondents physically in order for them to fill out. In total 50 responses were obtained, of which three were incomplete. Key findings Key findings of the study are that junior mining firms are entrepreneurial and have a positive perception towards entrepreneurial orientation. Because these firms are entrepreneurial they differ from firms that are not entrepreneurially orientated by manifesting characteristics such as innovation, risk taking and proactiveness. Entrepreneurial orientation is used as a cushion against uncertainty in a volatile environment. Furthermore, entrepreneurially oriented firms also engage and utilize corporate entrepreneurship strategies such as corporate venturing and strategic entrepreneurship.

One of the major role players in the economy of South African is the mining industry. It forms almost 20% of the gross domestic product of South Africa, with sales of R 76.5 billion for 1999. Of this, gold sales were 33% of the total sales, or R24.99 billion for 1999. Platinum sales were 19.5% of the total sales, or RI4.92 billion for 1999. In 1999 the energy consumption of the mining industry in South Africa was 114 325.2 TJ or 31.757 TWh per year at an average consumption of 3.63 GWh. This constitutes 18.4% of the country's total energy consumption for 1999. This forms a big part of the annual expenditure of the mining industry and contributes a large part of the base load of the country. ESKOM is moving towards a price structure for electricity that reflects the real cost of generation, namely real time pricing (RTP). ESKOM developed various cost structures to coax customers to manage their electricity demand (DSM) to use more energy in off-peak periods (low cost of generation) and less energy in peak periods (high generation costs). To use these structures to the fullest potential, the mines need to investigate their energy consuming components and see where these structures can be implemented. The ventilation and cooling (Ve) system of mines use approximately 25% of the total energy used in the mining activities. This component is therefore a good place to investigate the implementation of such structures and their potential impact. Most of the price structures from ESKOM are based on the fact that the consumer needs to be I able to shift part of or its entire load for a period of time. The potential of this shift and the impact of it on the mine and ESKOM is complex and dynamic in nature. For such a purpose integrated, dynamic simulation software is needed. In the mining industry there is no integrated and dynamic simulation software. This simulation field is much more developed in the building industry. Therefore, with much effort, a building simulation tool" was used to find the potential for shifting load in gold and platinum mines. A first pilot study was done for the VC system of a pilot mine, South Deep (PDW AN). The mine has an installed cooling capacity of 28 MW and had a total energy consumption of 400 GWh for 1999. The mine was simulated and verified with measured results. The VC system or cooling cycle attributes almost 40 % of the total load caused by the mine. Using current and new control, along with some different system configurations, the total potential load shift on VC was determined to be 19 MWh, sustained for five continuous hours per day. This causes a recovery period of six hours with an increase of 4.5 MWh on the maximum load. If this could be replicated on all the mines in South Africa, a total load shift of 1,35 GWh could be achieved. But not all mines are that deep and therefore the influence of the cooling cycle might not be so great. If only half the potential load could be shifted it could still cause a load shift of 676 MWh for the South African network for a potential period of five hours a day. Only when the entire mining industry is able to achieve the same results as South Deep, can ESKOM successfully implement all their new pricing structures and can South Africa profit from such devices. Our experience with this project also showed that a new integrated, dynamic simulation tool, aimed specifically at mines, must be developed before the above mentioned results can be achieved by ESKOM. / Dissertation (MEng (Mechanical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

Thesis (LLM. (Management and Development Law)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / Previously the concept of ownership has played a role in the development of Minerals right and was regarded as an absolute right of the owner to do what he desired with property. It is nowadays accepted that ownership is not an absolute and unlimited but the concept is still undergoing transformation. Since the enacted of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) now vest on the State as the Custodian of all minerals in South Africa. The vesting of the Mineral right does however interfere with the common law right private ownership, and the investor as expressed in the constitution. The term Custodian as used in the Bill is a misnomer, in that the Bill proposes not mere Custodianship, but an actual vesting in the State by giving effect to the universally accepted right of the State to exercise permanent Sovereignty to all minerals resources. The new Mining legislation regime with specific reference Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act and National Environmental Management Act are precisely paced to ensure optimal exploitation of natural resources while promoting sustainable development.

The underground hard rock mining industry in South Africa is faced with the challenge of simultaneously delivering both safety and productivity excellence. Frontline supervisors need to manage the inherent trade-off between safety and productivity to achieve excellence in both. Previous research suggests that supervisors with a transformational leadership style have delivered safety and productivity in separate studies. This study examined the relationship between the transformational leadership style of underground mining supervisors at Impala and the simultaneous delivery of both safety and productivity. It also investigated the mediating effect of group safety climate on the relationship between transformational leadership and injury rate, and the mediating effect of group cohesiveness on the relationship between transformational leadership and productivity. The relationship between transformational leadership and the perception of leader effectiveness was also investigated in the study context. The research design was a case study using mixed methods in the form of a sequential explanatory design. In the first quantitative main phase of the study, survey questionnaires were completed by respondents to determine the leadership style of the mine overseers who were the unit of analysis. Data was also collected using survey questionnaires for group safety climate and group cohesiveness. The injury rate and productivity data for the mine overseer sections was recorded for a one year period prior to the survey. In the second qualitative phase of the study selected mine overseers were interviewed and a focus group of mine overseers was conducted. Also, underground observations were carried out and documents were scrutinised. The focus of the qualitative research was to interpret and explain the results that were obtained in the quantitative first phase of the study. The results indicate that transformational leadership is related to the perception of supervisors’ effectiveness. This relationship is partially mediated by group safety climate and group cohesiveness. The relationship between transformational leadership and the objective measures of injury vi rate and productivity were not supported in the quantitative results. This may indicate that these measures were too narrow to determine supervisors’ leadership effectiveness, and/or were contaminated by confounding variables as was suggested in the qualitative phase of the study. The qualitative findings indicated that supervisors’ perception was that transformational leadership style is effective in delivering safety and productivity excellence. The overall conclusion of this study is that in the context of Impala or similar operations, that the effective supervisor should employ the full range of leadership. This behaviour includes maintaining discipline and using contingent reward to motivate the achievement of goals. The effective supervisor also uses the transformational leadership style giving meaning to work and creating a feeling of team membership. Transformational leadership inspires the diverse workforce to deliver safety and productivity excellence in the difficult and risky mining conditions. Furthermore, supervisors’ behaviour is greatly influenced by management’s priorities. / Business Management / D. B. L.

The underground hard rock mining industry in South Africa is faced with the challenge of simultaneously delivering both safety and productivity excellence. Frontline supervisors need to manage the inherent trade-off between safety and productivity to achieve excellence in both. Previous research suggests that supervisors with a transformational leadership style have delivered safety and productivity in separate studies. This study examined the relationship between the transformational leadership style of underground mining supervisors at Impala and the simultaneous delivery of both safety and productivity. It also investigated the mediating effect of group safety climate on the relationship between transformational leadership and injury rate, and the mediating effect of group cohesiveness on the relationship between transformational leadership and productivity. The relationship between transformational leadership and the perception of leader effectiveness was also investigated in the study context. The research design was a case study using mixed methods in the form of a sequential explanatory design. In the first quantitative main phase of the study, survey questionnaires were completed by respondents to determine the leadership style of the mine overseers who were the unit of analysis. Data was also collected using survey questionnaires for group safety climate and group cohesiveness. The injury rate and productivity data for the mine overseer sections was recorded for a one year period prior to the survey. In the second qualitative phase of the study selected mine overseers were interviewed and a focus group of mine overseers was conducted. Also, underground observations were carried out and documents were scrutinised. The focus of the qualitative research was to interpret and explain the results that were obtained in the quantitative first phase of the study. The results indicate that transformational leadership is related to the perception of supervisors’ effectiveness. This relationship is partially mediated by group safety climate and group cohesiveness. The relationship between transformational leadership and the objective measures of injury vi rate and productivity were not supported in the quantitative results. This may indicate that these measures were too narrow to determine supervisors’ leadership effectiveness, and/or were contaminated by confounding variables as was suggested in the qualitative phase of the study. The qualitative findings indicated that supervisors’ perception was that transformational leadership style is effective in delivering safety and productivity excellence. The overall conclusion of this study is that in the context of Impala or similar operations, that the effective supervisor should employ the full range of leadership. This behaviour includes maintaining discipline and using contingent reward to motivate the achievement of goals. The effective supervisor also uses the transformational leadership style giving meaning to work and creating a feeling of team membership. Transformational leadership inspires the diverse workforce to deliver safety and productivity excellence in the difficult and risky mining conditions. Furthermore, supervisors’ behaviour is greatly influenced by management’s priorities. / Business Management / D. B. L.

Thesis (M.Sc.)(Geography)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The research found and understood that the ability of the case study organisation (company X) to understand sustainability issues and stakeholder interests lies in the firm‟s core purpose and strategy (i.e. the notion of incorporating sustainability into business decisions). The research also understood that at company X the three strategy propositions (value, profit, people) are achieved through the process of implementing the company‟s change initiatives for sustainability and in turn support the company to evolve towards a sustainable enterprise. The ability to make sustainability a fundamental aspect of its business decisions is what distinguishes company X such that it can successfully design, introduce and diffuse strategies, practices and cultural traits aligned with sustainable models The researcher further believes that change interventions or initiatives carried out at company X such as value delivery, workforce plan alignment and cash generation are expected to enhance responsibility and accountability of employees. At company X, individuals are informed and allowed a great deal of autonomy when it comes to generating ideas to tackle strategic initiatives. The sense of inclusiveness allows individuals in company X to change their identity and behaviour in line with ideal models of the sustainable enterprise.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Zoology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Water pollution has been one of the major concerns all over the world for at least the past two decades. In South Africa, the Olifants River System is one of the most polluted river systems. Anthropogenic activities being carried out within the Olifants River Catchment area pose threats to the aquatic ecosystem. The Upper and Middle catchments are being characterised by intensive mining, industries, agricultural practices and inadequate sewage treatments. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of mining activities on the water quality and health status of the Steelpoort River, a tributary of the Olifants River System. This was achieved through assessing the quality of water by analysing physico-chemical parameters, macro nutrients and metals at four selected sites, determining the response of macro invertebrate assemblages to water quality using the South African Scoring System (SASS) version 5 and determining the diversity of fish using the Fish Response Assessment Index (FRAI). Sampling of water, sediment, macro-invertebrates and fish was done seasonally (August 2017 – May 2018) at four selected sites. Site 1 and site 2 were located upstream while site 3 and site 4 were located midstream and downstream respectively. Water and sediment samples were analysed by WATERLAB (PTY) LTD by means of Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Macro-invertebrates were sampled following the SASS protocol. Macro-invertebrates were identified, counted and recorded then released back to the river. Fish were sampled following the FRAI index protocol. The results obtained indicated that the system variables; pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen and total dissolved solids fell within the target water quality range (TWQR) for aquatic ecosystems. However, some concentrations of macro-nutrients recorded were above the TWQR. These include ammonium at site 3 and nitrogen at sites 2, 3 and 4 which indicated that there was a variation in the influx of macro-nutrients into the river at different river sections. The higher concentrations of ammonium and nitrogen may adversely affect the functioning and survival of biological communities. The metal results indicated that most metals (As, B, Ba, Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni and Cr) fell within the recommended water and sediment quality guidelines (DWAF 1996c; CCME 2012). Chromium concentrations recorded in sediment were above the sediment quality guideline at all the selected sites (CCME 2012). Iron and Zn were also above the guideline values at all selected sites. In terms of physico-chemical parameters and metal concentrations indicated that the water quality of the Steelpoort River was fairly good. The macro-invertebrates were also analysed; their abundance, distribution and family richness indicated that there was a deterioration of water quality from upstream to downstream which may be an indication of increase in influx of pollutants and modifications in the stream such as flow, cover and microhabitat. The highest macro invertebrate abundance and richness was at site 1 while the lowest was at sites 3 and 4. Site 3 was highly modified while site 1 was the least modified site. The Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera index (EPT) and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera/Chironomidae ratio (EPT/C ratio) analysis also confirmed that the water quality of the Steelpoort River is deteriorating from upstream to downstream. Site 1 had the highest value of EPT while site 2 had the highest value of EPT/C. Site 3 had the lowest value for both EPT and EPT/C ratio. The higher EPT and EPT/C ratio indicate the presence of highly sensitive taxa. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) indicated a strong correlation between metals (Pb, Cr, Mg, As and Se) and macro-invertebrates (Pleidae, Ecnomidae, Athericidae, Synlestidae, Lestidae and Pyralidae). The SASS 5 results also indicated deterioration of water quality from upstream to downstream with the highest values of SASS score and Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT) being recorded at site 1 followed by site 2 while the lowest SASS score and ASPT were at site 3 followed by site 4. The use of fish as biological indicator also supported the same pattern of water quality deterioration and influx of pollutants which was previously indicated as increasing from upstream to downstream of the Steelpoort River. Site 1 had the highest fish abundance, while site 4 had the lowest fish abundance. However, the fish species richness was highest at site 4 while the lowest species richness was at site 1. The Shannon Weiner Diversity Index also supported that site 4 had the highest fish species richness while site 1 had the lowest species richness. The FRAI results indicated that different sites were in different Ecological Categories (EC). The ECs showed a trend from higher EC category upstream to lower EC category downstream. Site 1 had an EC of C followed by site 2 with an EC of C/D, site 4 with EC of D and then site 3 with the lowest EC of D/E. This might serve as an indication of decrease in habitat availability, increase of pollutants input and increase in stream modification. The CCA showed a weak correlation system variables and fish species. However, a strong correlation was observed between most metals and most fish species with the exception of Mesobola brevianalis Boulenger, 1908, Chiloglanis pretoriae Van Der Horst, 1931, Labeobarbus marequensis Smith, 1841 and Enteromius neefi (Greenwood, 1962). In conclusion, the water in the Steelpoort River is still in relatively good condition. However, increasing mining, industrial and agricultural practices in the catchment area results in increase of pollutants input into the river system. All the four selected sites were contaminated to some degree, with site 3 being the most affected site and site 1 being the least affected site. For this reason, it is important to continuously monitor the health status of the Steelpoort River and to educate the nearby communities who rely on this river for water supply about the quality of the water from the Steelpoort River. / DSI-NRF SARCHI (Ecosystem Health)

Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2011 / The mining sector in South Africa has enjoyed decades of profiteering and unchecked neglect of developmental needs of surrounding communities. Most of the communities surrounding South African mines are therefore synonymous with social problems that include poverty, poor health, unemployment, adult illiteracy, poor housing, family disorganization and high influx of unaccompanied migrant labour. On the contrary, mining is presented as the paradigm of wealth in particular when dealing with gold and diamond mining, while its marketing conceals its terrible social and environmental consequences. However mining is responsible for such impacts and many others. This study looks at the socio-economic impact of mining on community development in Greater Tubatse Municipal area located in Limpopo Province, South Africa. From the interviews conducted and questionnaires administered to sampled community members and workers of the platinum mine in Greater Tubatse Municipality, it emerged that the existence of mining companies in the area has done little to uplift the lives of the people in terms of socioeconomic development. The study makes recommendations on how the situation can be improved so that the population living in the area can benefit from the work carried out by mining companies.