#034 Beneath the Surface: Legalising Artisanal Mining in Stilfontein

This episode of Just Us and the Climate investigates the ongoing struggle to legalise artisanal mining in South Africa, focusing on the mining town of Stilfontein as a case study. The conversation is about how informal miners who, often vilified as illegal or criminal, are in fact survivors of economic exclusion, carrying historical knowledge and skills in a collapsing mining economy. The podcast sheds light on why formalising artisanal mining is a justice issue, both socio-economically and environmentally.

It unpacks the legal vacuum and policing of informal miners, the economic and environmental impacts of unregulated mining, opportunities for regulation that prioritise people and the planet, and community-based solutions for sustainable small-scale mining.