On day three of the Investing in African Mining Indaba at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), gender-based violence (GBV) in the mining sector took centre stage at the Women in Mining breakfast, where Virginia Tyobeka, Executive Head: People & Organisation at Valterra Platinum, delivered a powerful and unflinching address.
Speaking to industry leaders, executives and professionals gathered on the sidelines of the continent’s premier mining investment event, Tyobeka framed GBV not as an HR issue or compliance requirement, but as a fundamental leadership challenge confronting the sector.
While acknowledging mining’s legacy, she said the industry is increasingly confronting structural and cultural issues that were historically ignored. Those realities, she argued, are now surfacing more visibly within companies and across mining communities.
To ground the conversation, Tyobeka outlined operational scenarios that reflect the lived experiences of women in mining.
In one example, she described a senior project leader overseeing teams largely made up of fixed-term contractors seeking permanent employment. In that environment, she said, subtle but coercive expectations around appearance and behaviour can emerge, placing women in vulnerable positions as they compete for job security.
In another scenario, she highlighted the structural risks embedded in shift systems. A female employee who lives 90km from site must leave home at 1am to catch transport for a 5am shift. After more than a decade of service, the employee was violently attacked on her way to the bus stop by someone from her own village – a stark reminder that workplace safety often extends beyond the mine gate.
Tyobeka also spoke about young graduates entering the industry. She described an HR graduate on a development programme who was propositioned by a manager while being driven across operations and how power imbalances can be exploited within hierarchical environments.
In an emotional moment, she referenced the loss of a colleague who was killed after accompanying her partner, a mine supervisor, to a union gathering outside the mining gates.
“These are realities within normal operations,” Tyobeka said. “I cannot think of any mining house that has not experienced some form of this.”
She stressed that GBV cannot be treated as a peripheral matter. At Valterra Platinum, she said, the company moved early to position the issue at executive level. “GBV is a leadership challenge,” she stated, noting that the company’s CEO has been actively involved from the outset. Valterra has since developed a formal strategy focused on eradication and prevention, acknowledging the systemic drivers behind abuse. A dedicated GBV panel has been established to oversee implementation and ensure interventions are targeted and measurable.
Among the initiatives are annual underground night-shift visits led by executive leadership, including the CEO, to engage directly with employees and hear concerns firsthand – a move designed to reinforce accountability and visibility at the highest level.
With the President having declared GBV a national disaster, Tyobeka called on mining companies to treat the issue as a strategic priority, particularly in an industry competing globally for skills and investment.
“From a talent perspective alone, we cannot afford to ignore this,” she said. “This affects women and men across our workforce. It shapes the industry we are building.”
As Mining Indaba continues to focus on capital flows, policy certainty and growth in African mining, Tyobeka’s address served as a reminder that the sector’s long-term sustainability will depend not only on investment returns, but on its ability to create safe, dignified working environments for all.
