PALABORA MINING COMPANY

Palabora Mining Company is a copper mine, smelter and refinery complex located in the town of Phalaborwa, in Limpopo Province.

A Top Employer who is also an employer of choice that is a pillar of the Ba-Phalaborwa community –Building lives, sustaining communities.

The mine owes its origins to a unique rock formation in the region known as the Palabora Igneous Complex. The mine is located directly adjacent to the world renown eco-tourism attraction, the Kruger National Park, where several on-site wildlife management programmes are coordinated as part of its ongoing sustainability drive. The mining company takes pride in being one of the rare breeds of community based and value-driven companies working closer to nature and mother earth in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. The company is a certified ISO 14001 business, which subscribes to world leading practices.

Employing over 3 000 employees and an additional 5 000 contractors, PMC collaborates closely with various communities in the BaPhalaborwa region to boost economic development and alleviate poverty. Palabora Mining Company’s trading history and reputation is evident in its processing and selling of high-quality products, such as Refined Copper Rod, Magnetite, Nickel, and Vermiculite. Palabora Mining Company operates a successful underground block-cave mine, producing 50,000 tonnes of copper ore per annum. Palabora's block-cave mine is a benchmark for integrated design. No other blockcave mine has been put into as competent an orebody. The block height of the cave reaches a record 450 meters in the centre, increasing up to 700 meters on the periphery, rendering Palabora a world-class mine.

Over the years PMC has dedicated hundreds of millions of rands to improving the lives of the vulnerable in the mine’s local communities within the Ba-Phalaborwa municipality. With the assistance of local stakeholders and government, the mining giant has been able to construct and repair roads in areas throughout the local townships and villages. In the last year alone, PMC has invested millions of rands in the rehabilitation of the roads within the local communities. These investments are evidence of its commitment to ensuring a better life for those residing in their host communities.

PMC is committed to empowering both our employees and the broader community through education, skills development, and sustainable initiatives that pave the way for long-term growth.

PMC has recently partnered with the Road Agency Limpopo (RAL) and the department of roads and transport to construct and rebuild access roads in the local villages for an estimated 40km distance. These main roads which are under construction are:

• D4424 - Lulekani, D4424 (Rehabilitation)

• D4424 - Lulekani to MatikoXikaya (From Post Office to Shiphamele Primary School)

• D3786 - Maseke to Mashishimale Road - connects R71 to the R40

Palabora Mining Company (PMC) is determined to turn the unemployment tide amongst the youth in Ba-Phalaborwa communities through education. As part of our commitment to development in Education, we award annual tertiary education bursaries to high performing matriculants to further their studies. We have previously extended full sponsorship to 25 top performing local learners for the 2024 academic year from the matric class of 2023. A bursary agreement signing ceremony was held to formally engage and honor the 25 bursars who received recognition for their hard work and excellent academic performance. The sponsorship will support studies at all nationally recognized institutions of higher learning. There will be an event before the end of the first quarter of 2025 to recognise and award the 2024 bursary recipients in the Ba-Phalaborwa community.

At Palabora, the main vision is to have a strong, committed and focused workforce. This is supported by an investment that is consistently made available for academic empowerment of their people irrespective of the level of employment within the business. We believe in empowering their people by providing skills and opportunities which provide growth and nurture talent which will likely encourage them to stay longer in the business.

In these tough economic times, where affordable education is out of reach for a growing number of people, Palabora is consistently making a significant contribution by offering bursaries to its most im portant resource, their employees. An awarding ceremony was recently held where 55 employees were awarded a fully paid PMC bursary which includes educational costs throughout their studies while they are enrolled in various recognized local universities in South Africa. Strong emphasis is placed on the drive towards transformation which aligns well with their BBBEE targets. Studies have shown that investing in employee’s skills and development can assist organizations to attract and retain talent. Employees who feel valued and invested are most likely to be productive. An investment in education is an investment in our future.

In addition to providing bursaries to the employees and community, Palabora Mining Company has also granted bursaries for Adult Education and Training as well as adult matric improvement education. Over the years we have worked together with traditional leaders and the Department of Education to encourage adult community members by applying for this AET programme which provides adults with basic learning tools, knowledge and skills. Community members from Selwana village, Lulekani, Makhushane and Namakgale have and still benefit from this AET initiative.

PMC continuously work on maintaining a good relationship with community, government and traditional leaders through consultations and engagement which has been instrumental in the implementation and success of these projects. Beyond this, PMC has established a partnership with the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) to support training interventions within the mining industry and local communities. These initiatives offer local youth opportunities through learnerships, apprenticeships and formal on-thejob training to assist them prepare for their future careers within and outside of PMC.

As part of PMC’s sustainability planning, the company is currently busy with projects to extend the life of the mine. There are two major investment projects namely:

a. Lift II Expansion Project

The business has invested over 17 billion to design a new mine shaft and expand the Lift II project to extend the life of the mine beyond 2034. This development is meant to contribute towards the sustainability of the mining town of Phalaborwa which will certainly have a positive impact through job preservation and continue to contribute towards Socio Economic Development of the area.

b. The Newer Smelter Retrofit Project

The business has invested a further R1 billion towards the construction of a new age retrofit smelter which is more environmentally friendly and more efficient. This project is part of the PMC sustainability plan to extend the life of the mine beyond 2034. Underpinned and guided by the core values of: Integrity, Teamwork, Courage, Caring and Accountability. PMC has made the right call along the way and have recently added superior beneficiation knowledge and expertise to long-standing mining expertise.

This mining giant is proud to be recognized and awarded the Top Employer status for the third consecutive year in the year 2025. This solidifies Palabora's commitment to creating a dynamic, inclusive and forward-thinking work environment. This recognition is much more than meeting the standards or benchmark but about being acknowledged as the desired employer where people feel supported, valued and empowered. After being rated against the international standard, the company was recently certified by the Global Top Employer Institute as a Top Employer for excellent HR Practices.