Thobeka Mahlangu has begun an inspiring journey by using her skills to give back to her community. She takes pride in facilitating the building of strategic relationships between the community, workers, management, local government, and SMEs in her role as the colliery’s Stakeholder Relations Superintendent. She describes herself as the glue that keeps everyone connected because she knows the Davel area well, having grown up on one of the surrounding farms.

With 12 years’ experience in Human Resources and stakeholder relations, Thobeka hopes her experience will add value for both the mine and the community. Reminiscing about her childhood, Thobeka recalls growing up in a tight knit community. “You could go to any household within the community, and it would still be home” she says. But opportunities were scarce and youth in the area struggled to fi nd jobs. “I would say Gugulethu for us is a new dawn and a light at the end of the tunnel that we grew up hoping for,” she says.

Thobeka says the community has embraced the new development and looks forward to seeing a shift in the local economy as the operations unfold. “I have the advantage of knowing the people, the history of the place and what people need. There is a lot of development that we are looking forward to. I believe Gugulethu is the perfect opportunity for the people to benefit accordingly,” Thobeka adds.