A pioneering and transformative new consortium has been formed to address South Africa’s critical need for sustainable mine land rehabilitation and rural economic development. The Socio-Economic Mine Land Rehabilitation Consortium brings together the collective strengths of PSJ Group, DIH Agri, and NWU Enterprises as a wholly owned subsidiary of the North West University.
We are a collaborative partnership made up of institutions and businesses with a shared commitment to land restoration, food security, economic growth and community upliftment. The founding members have strategically aligned to leverage their collective strength in project management, community networks, technical expertise, multidisciplinary research excellence to deliver high-impact, sustainable projects that repurpose unrehabilitated mining land, degraded land, derelict and ownerless mines for sustainable socio-economic development. This initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by addressing poverty reduction, food security, sustainable economic growth, responsible land use and climate resilience.
At a macroeconomic level, this initiative will support South Africa’s efforts to reduce dependence on food imports, promote sustainable land utilization, and drive inclusive economic growth. Through strategic public-private partnerships and evidence-based policy interventions, the Consortium will contribute to national economic diversification, enhance social stability, and foster long-term economic resilience in mining affected regions. Restoring and utilising former mining land—primarily for agriculture; promoting sustainable livelihoods and localised job creation; aligning technical innovation and research with practical, community-based implementation; implement large scale circular green economy, carbon credits and climate smartprojects; facilitating access to funding for rehabilitation and land care initiatives; supporting long-term monitoring and evaluation for continuous research, learning and accountability.
Roles of the Partners
- PSJ Group leads with strategic oversight, technical management, and stakeholder engagement.
- NWU Enterprises acts as the coordinator, leveraging research, innovation, and academic integration into field implementation.
- DIH Agri brings deep industry expertise, focusing on agricultural development and commercialization of land rehabilitation solutions. Drive innovative livelihood programs with on-the-ground support, research, expertise, experience, training, and community integration.
“Mining historically was the impetus to South Africa’s economic development. More than 150 years later we at a pivotal inflection point with a unique opportunity to leverage mine land as a balance sheet to transform into an economic asset to usher a new chapter in the country’s history to catalyze a paradigm shift towards inclusive economic growth and shared prosperity” said Paul Ntshabele, Chairperson of the Socio-Economic Mine Land Rehabilitation Consortium.
What Comes Next
The Consortium will identify and launch pilot projects on post-mining land in partnership with local stakeholders, government departments, and private funders. Initial activities will include site assessments, community engagement, and the launch of various projects on selected land parcels.
A formal public engagement and stakeholder onboarding process will be announced in the coming months.
About the Consortium Members
PSJ Group is a diversified Agribusiness with a focus on Agri Investments, Climate Smart Agri, Agri Value Chains Development, Community-based Agri transformation and ESG.
NWU Enterprises is the wholly owned commercialisation arm of North-West University, advancing applied research and sustainable innovation.
DIH Agri is a joint venture between DIH Group and The U Can Company, delivering practical agri-solutions for inclusive growth and green economy activation. It connects rural communities to enterprise development opportunities and supports agri-entrepreneurship. North-West University is a leading South African institution renowned for its commitment to research, innovation, and community impact.
