The Mining Pulse

Pint Size Media
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Welcome to The Mining Pulse, the digital intelligence platform where the African mining industry finds its heartbeat. Hosted by James and Graeme, this is the dedicated space where specialists gather to run the diagnostics on the projects, people, and technologies shaping the future of global resources. In a sector often defined by static databases and cold technical reports, we provide the situational context that spreadsheets can’t capture. We move beyond generic marketing and "snake oil" solutions to bring you authentic, data-driven insights into project lifecycles, operational realities, and the "unlikely stories" of the pioneers bushwhacking the path forward. From deep dives into commodity fundamentals and automation to navigating ESG foundations and jurisdictional risks, we bridge the gap between information and execution. Whether you are an investor, an OEM, or a site manager, tune in to move from a speculative cold call to a warm, informed partnership. Stay sharp. Stay informed. Stay on the pulse.

  1. Oct 20

    Dismantling the Blueprint for Mining Leadership with Bernard Swanepoel

    Welcome to this episode of The Mining Pulse! This week, James and Graeme sit down with industry titan Bernard Swanepoel (former CEO of Harmony Gold, Joburg Indaba founder, and Implats board member) for an unfiltered conversation about the future of mining leadership. Bernard became a CEO at 34 and firmly believes the industry is failing its youngest and brightest minds. He argues that rigid corporate structures, narrow job descriptions, and archaic succession planning are stifling innovation. Instead of waiting for young engineers to turn 55 before giving them a seat at the table, Bernard challenges the industry to take the training wheels off and empower multidisciplinary talent right now. The conversation also covers the transition from technical expert to people leader, the critical soft skills of storytelling and listening, and why diversity of thought is the most vital asset in the boardroom. Key Takeaways: •The Technical Trap: Why being the smartest engineer in the room doesn't make you a good leader, and why technical experts often struggle when promoted to management. •Breaking the Succession Blueprint: Why forcing young talent to wait decades for promotion is driving the best minds out of the industry. •Rebuilding Institutional Capacity: The urgent need for major mining houses and the government to reinvest in structured graduate programs and technical bursaries. •Diversity of Thought: Why ticking demographic boxes on a board is useless if everyone still thinks exactly the same way. •The Soft Skills of Leadership: Why mastering listening and compelling storytelling will do more for your career than another degree. Don't miss a single beat of the industry's critical readout. Subscribe to The Mining Pulse on YouTube, Spotify, or your favourite podcast platform, and leave your thoughts in the comments below! Stay sharp, stay informed, and stay on the pulse.

  2. Sep 1

    The Looming Skills Wall: Why We Need More Engineers to Power the Green Transition with Gary Lane, Former SAIMM President

    The world is demanding more critical minerals than ever before to fuel the green energy transition. But who is actually going to build and operate these mines? In this episode of The Mining Pulse, Graeme and James sit down with Gary Lane, former President of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM). Gary brings a sobering reality check to the industry: a massive skills and capability wall is about to hit mining globally. With university programs closing and veteran engineers retiring, the pipeline for new talent is severely broken. Gary breaks down why the industry’s struggle with "poor technology adoption" is actually a symptom of this skills crisis. We explore the massive difference between an "effort-driven" organization and a truly "people-centric" operating model. Finally, Gary issues a passionate call to action for young engineers—explaining why modern mining is the most high-tech, dynamic, and lucrative space for mechanical, civil, and data engineers today. Key Takeaways: •Why the world needs more copper in the next 10 years than in all of recorded history. •How SAIMM plans to digitize 134 years of peer-reviewed research into a cutting-edge LLM. •Why fixing the mining talent pipeline requires changing the perception of the industry. •How young engineers can get involved, gain leadership experience, and secure high-paying careers through SAIMM. Stay sharp. Stay informed. Stay on the Pulse.

  3. Aug 27

    "Not An Act of God" – The Hard Truth About Tailings Dam Failures

    In this special edition of The Mining Pulse, James and Graeme are joined by Professor SW Jacobsz, a geotechnical engineer from the University of Pretoria who holds a PhD from Cambridge and researches liquefaction and failure triggers in tailings dams. Following recent industry events, this episode unpacks the brutal engineering realities behind tailings dam stability. Professor Jacobsz explains that tailings are the fine, liquid slurry left over after minerals are extracted, which are typically deposited into ring dikes or valleys. The discussion covers the different construction methods, including the highly common upstream method, and why allowing the material to dry out and gain strength is critical to a dam's structural integrity. Key Diagnostics Covered in This Episode: •Failure Mechanisms: An explanation of how dams fail, including overtopping from excess water, foundation failures from building over old deposits, and sudden liquefaction events. •The Mechanics of Liquefaction: How loose, water-filled tailings can instantly lose strength and flow like a liquid when containment is removed. •Operational Impact: How a breach results in an immediate halt to mining operations, alongside severe environmental and economic consequences. •Dam Management: The critical importance of maintaining sufficient freeboard, controlling the rate of rise, and ensuring a competent Engineer of Record oversees the facility. •Investigation Tools: Why geotechnical investigations must begin immediately to measure water pressures before they dissipate, and how satellite imagery is actively used to monitor moisture and movement. Subscribe today to stay on the pulse.

  4. Aug 27

    No-BS Sustainability: How AI is Rewriting Mining Compliance

    This week, Graeme flies solo to run a diagnostic on the massive administrative burden of corporate governance and compliance in the mining sector. He is joined by Anastasia Koskova, co-founder and CEO of beSirius, an AI platform designed specifically to handle certification, supplier due diligence, and regulatory requests for metals and mining companies. For too long, critical health, safety, environmental, and human rights data has been trapped in PDFs and Excel spreadsheets. Anastasia explains how AI is fundamentally changing this by building "digital twins" of non-financial data, drastically reducing the time and cost associated with audits and reporting. Key Diagnostics Covered in This Episode: •The Problem with ESG Data: Why relying on scattered paperwork and consultants for 18-month audit preparations is no longer sustainable. •Sustainability Without the BS: Moving past greenwashing and PR fluff to deliver practical, financially viable compliance solutions. •AI vs. Blockchain: How artificial intelligence is eating the mundane administrative work of mining governance. •Data Security: The absolute necessity of closed-environment AI training and on-premises servers to protect highly sensitive corporate data. •Empowering Junior Miners: How accessible AI tools are helping junior miners meet investor and off-take requirements without massive overhead. A special thank you to our episode sponsor, Africa Mining IQ. Subscribe today to stay on the pulse.

  5. Aug 18

    The Hydrometallurgy Diagnostic – Automating Cyanide & Acid Control

    In this episode of The Mining Pulse, James and Graeme are joined by Hansie van Vreden, CEO of Process Analytical Systems (PAS). We pull back the curtain on a critical but rarely discussed element of gold and copper processing: online wet chemical analysis. For decades, plants have relied on manual titrations to measure cyanide and acid levels, leading to subjective readings and inefficient dosing. Hansie explains how automated analyzers run titrations continuously, measuring free cyanide, WAD cyanide, and acid concentration directly. Key Diagnostics Covered in This Episode: •The Cost of Manual Titration: Why relying on operators to gauge color changes in a manual silver nitrate titration leads to inconsistent dosing. •Financial & Environmental Risk: How overdosing cyanide by just 50 ppm can cost operations an extra $0.15 per ton, while underdosing risks overall gold recovery. •WAD Cyanide & Environmental Compliance: Utilizing the picric acid method to accurately measure Weak Acid Dissociable (WAD) cyanide down to 20 parts per billion for detox management. •Acid Control in Copper: Why directly measuring acid concentration rather than relying on pH as a proxy significantly cuts acid consumption in copper leaching. •The Next Generation: A look at PAS's TAC 1000NG platform and the shift toward fully automated process control. A special thank you to our episode sponsor, Africa Mining IQ. Subscribe today to stay on the pulse.

  6. Aug 12

    The Mining Pulse: The Supply Chain Diagnostic – Port Congestion, Permits, and Freight

    In this episode of The Mining Pulse, James and Graeme are joined by Bonique, Group Commercial Services Manager, and Dexter, Director at TradeStream. Together, they run a complete diagnostic on the state of African logistics, trade finance, and supply chain operations. While the global appetite for African mining expansion is massive, the infrastructure required to support it often lags behind. Our guests break down the realities on the ground, revealing the severe bottlenecks, port constraints, and hidden financial risks that operators face when moving cargo across the continent. Key Diagnostics Covered in This Episode: • The Road Freight Reality: Why 80% of trade into regions like the DRC still relies on roads, and the impact of 7-day border queues at Kasumbalesa. • Border Integration: Unpacking the delays at Beitbridge caused by unintegrated government agency systems on the South African side. • Sea Freight Constraints: Comparing the smoother West African shipping routes to the heavy congestion in East African ports like Mombasa and Dar es Salaam. • Logistics Pricing: Understanding the 70% fixed vs. 30% variable cost structure, and why container demurrage penalties can exceed $4,000 to $5,000. • Incoterm Dangers: Why assuming a CIF contract protects you is a dangerous game that can wipe out project profit margins once the cargo hits the vessel. A special thank you to our episode sponsor, Africa Mining IQ. Subscribe today to stay on the pulse.

  7. Jul 28

    Money of Mine x The Mining Pulse: Tracking ASX African Capital

    This week, we have a major Trans-Indian Ocean crossover event. James and Graeme are joined by Travis and JD, the founders of Australia's premier mining podcast, Money of Mine. We contrast the investor-heavy focus of the Australian market with the operational and technical realities of the African mining sector to understand why listed Aussie cash is flooding the continent. Key Diagnostics Covered in This Episode: • The Inspiration: How the Money of Mine team built an independent media business without taking funding from mining companies. • The Capital Flow: Why Africa is far and away the second-largest destination for ASX resources companies. • Sovereign Risk Diagnostic: Travis explains why stable fiscal regimes are mandatory for billion-dollar, 30-year mine life investments. • Technology & Exploration: Why the failure rate for juniors might be improving with the integration of AI. • The Challenge: Travis challenges James and Graeme to ditch the studio and record an episode live on a mine site. Subscribe today to stay on the pulse.

  8. Jul 23

    Is Coal Still King? Vuslat Bayoğlu on Energy Policy, Transnet, and the Future of South African Mining

    South Africa's economy was built on rocks and coal, yet the mining industry remains heavily misunderstood by the general public and global policymakers. This week, James and Graeme are joined by Vuslat Bayoğlu, Co-founder and Managing Director of Menar. Vuslat unpacks the complex realities of operating a diversified mid-tier mining company in today's volatile market. Key Diagnostics Covered in This Episode: o Why optical political decisions regarding energy transitions are causing chaos in European markets. o The current state of Eskom: How a 7,000 to 10,000 MW surplus is negatively impacting domestic coal producers. o Transnet's recovery strategy, including opening the rail network to private train operating companies. o The technical differences between thermal coal, coking coal, anthracite, and lignite. o The reopening of Kuila Met and the critical importance of keeping the ferro-alloy smelting industry alive in South Africa. A special thank you to Vuslat Bayoğlu and the team at Menar for joining us and sharing their invaluable insights. Subscribe today to stay on the pulse.

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About

Welcome to The Mining Pulse, the digital intelligence platform where the African mining industry finds its heartbeat. Hosted by James and Graeme, this is the dedicated space where specialists gather to run the diagnostics on the projects, people, and technologies shaping the future of global resources. In a sector often defined by static databases and cold technical reports, we provide the situational context that spreadsheets can’t capture. We move beyond generic marketing and "snake oil" solutions to bring you authentic, data-driven insights into project lifecycles, operational realities, and the "unlikely stories" of the pioneers bushwhacking the path forward. From deep dives into commodity fundamentals and automation to navigating ESG foundations and jurisdictional risks, we bridge the gap between information and execution. Whether you are an investor, an OEM, or a site manager, tune in to move from a speculative cold call to a warm, informed partnership. Stay sharp. Stay informed. Stay on the pulse.

Information

  • Creator
    Pint Size Media
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Pint Size Media
  • Show Website
    The Mining Pulse