Marikana and Welkom are building sustainable futures with support from Sibanye-Stillwater. Through partnerships that promote entrepreneurship, food security, and environmental responsibility, these communities are creating opportunities for long-term growth—ensuring that life after mining is filled with possibility and prosperity.
Explore their Stories
Dianne Van Der Walt, Director of Thrive
Dianne teaches communities how to create biological compost, restoring disused mining land into fertile soil. Through Thrive and Sibanye-Stillwater’s support, locals learn to rehabilitate farmland, ensuring sustainable food production. This knowledge empowers them to build self-sufficient futures, proving that once-degraded land can become a source of life again.
Raserola Mashamaite, Director of Eco Bakery
Marikana’s bakery was born from a need—affordable, high-quality bread for the community. With Sibanye-Stillwater’s support, unemployed residents built a thriving business. Bicycle deliveries and local partnerships ensure fresh bread reaches people daily. More than just food, the bakery represents opportunity, dignity, and the power of local enterprise to uplift lives.
Simon Leshoai, Programme Manager at Mineworkers Development Agency
Marikana’s future is being shaped through skills and enterprise. The Agri-Hub, construction training, and digital services give residents ownership over their livelihoods. With Sibanye-Stillwater’s backing, crime has decreased, social cohesion has strengthened, and hope has returned. These efforts ensure the community thrives beyond mining, securing a better future for all.
As seen on 30 tv channels throughout africa
Marikana and Welkom are proving that communities can grow beyond mining. In Marikana, the Sibanye-Stillwater-supported Agri-Hub has helped local farmers build successful businesses.
A 2,000-layer chicken facility, food tunnels, and a packhouse supply fresh produce to the Afrika Tikkun Youth Centre, ensuring that over 320 children receive nutritious meals every day. At the same time, the Eco-Bakery provides affordable, high-quality bread to the community. Established through a collaboration between Sibanye-Stillwater, the Mineworkers Development Agency, and local suppliers, the bakery produces more than 100 loaves daily.
Using bicycle deliveries and local business partnerships, it has grown into a vital source of jobs and economic stability. In Welkom, the Eco-Transformers project is changing how people view waste. Once a dumping site, the area now serves as a recycling and composting hub. With training from Thrive, community members turn organic waste into nutrient-rich compost, restoring land and supporting local food production.
This cooperative of 15 shareholders sells organic, artisanal compost to retailers, demonstrating the economic value of sustainability. Through these projects, Sibanye-Stillwater is supporting Marikana and Welkom in building self-sufficient, resilient communities that will continue to grow long after mining has ended.
The gallery
