By Akani Nkuna
Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela says skills development is central to South Africa’s growth and restoring dignity to previously disadvantaged and vulnerable youth, stressing that it is not a favour but a constitutional mandate of government and its entities.
“Skills development is not a favour that we do for South Africans. It is an important investment that we make for the future of our country. If we get it right, it means we are unlocking growth, dignity and social cohesion,” Manamela said on Thursday.
He was speaking at the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) Mining Skills Lekgotla held at the Gallagher Convention Centre, where mining and government leaders reflected on the role of the MQA over the past three decades.
Manamela called for stronger partnerships between the mining industry, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and city colleges to align training with industry demand.
Since his appointment, Manamela has maintained that the state of post-school education and training is closely linked to the country’s economic performance and overall development.
“Part of the ambition should be the commitment that the mining industry needs in terms of potential partnerships with specific TVET colleges or the sector as a whole. Given the work done in partnership with industry around the just energy transition and related skills proposals, this is an opportunity to look at commitments towards a skills resolution,” he said.
He emphasised that cohesion across industry players was critical to ensure that skills development translates into real job opportunities and helps combat youth unemployment.
“If we continue at the pace at which we are going, we will reproduce exclusion and frustration. Given the role mining plays in our economy, institutions in the sector carry a bigger responsibility to ensure continued skills development for young people,” he said.
“The responsibility rests with all of us to ensure that the next 30 years of the MQA are defined not only by longevity, but by impact.”
The minister also spoke about the reform and repositioning of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs).
“We want SETAs including the MQA to function as sectoral convenors and system integrators not just as grant disbursing entities. The President was clear in the SONA that we require a skills revolution that is responsive to the economy we are building, not the economy we inherited. Skills revolution that prepares young people not just to survive but to contribute meaningfully to industrialisation, to beneficiation and to inclusive growth,” said Manamela.
MQA CEO Thabo Mashongoane at the 2026 MQA Mining Skills Lekgotla in Midrand. PHOTO: Eddie Mtsweni
MQA chief executive Thabo Mashongoane, speaking at the same event, said the authority’s 30-year history has been marked by adaptive growth and transformation, with a focus on lecturer and graduate development, support for women and learner funding aimed at expanding access for previously excluded groups.
He said the MQA is fast-tracking digitisation, Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and green mining skills, alongside adult education and literacy programmes, to ensure the sector remains competitive in what he termed the “Future Skills Focus Era” of the 2020s.
“We are engaging with universities to ensure that their mode of delivery incorporates 4IR and digitalisation components so that we build skills that enable better work in the mining sector,” Mashongoane said.
According to the MQA Discretionary Grants Expenditure Report for 2003–2025, nearly R12 billion has been spent over the period. The TVET College Support Programme received just over R664 million, while the Internship Programme accounted for R1.9 billion and the Learnership Programme R1.5 billion.
The Artisan Development Programme received more than R3 billion, underscoring the authority’s focus on strengthening technical skills and supporting economic growth in the mining sector.
Entertainers performing at the 2026 MQA Mining Skills Lekgotla in Midrand. PHOTO: Eddie Mtsweni
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