South Africa
Mining Charter compliance, made simple
10 yes/no questions for holders of mining rights on the Mining Charter and related duties: ownership, procurement, employment equity, skills, community development and reporting. You get a score for each area and a list of gaps with what to do about each one.
ComplianceDesk gives you 7 pre-built Mining Charter controls, an evidence vault, audit-ready reports, and reminders before anything falls overdue — so proving Mining Charter compliance stops being a spreadsheet exercise.
Take the free self-assessment: a score for each area and a list of gaps to close.
What is Mining Charter?
10 yes/no questions for holders of mining rights on the Mining Charter and related duties: ownership, procurement, employment equity, skills, community development and reporting. You get a score for each area and a list of gaps with what to do about each one.
- Official name
- Mining Charter
- Status
- In force. Shown as in force as we understand it. Check the current text with the regulator or an attorney, since provisions can be amended or commence at different times.
Who it applies to
- Whether it applies to you depends on your size, activities and licences. Use the free "Which laws apply to me?" checker, or read the first section of the self-assessment.
- The 2018 Mining Charter was challenged in court by the Minerals Council, and a 2026 report said the empowerment rules for mining would be revised again. Always check the current Charter, its guidelines and any court ruling. Answer Not applicable throughout if you hold no mining right.
What you have to do
Status of the Charter and ownership
A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: Do you know which version of the Mining Charter applies to your right, and have you recorded your compliance position against it? Do you know your required level of black ownership (including how existing rights are treated on transfer or renewal), and can you show how you meet it? Do you keep records of the shareholders, trusts, employee schemes and communities that hold shares, and the benefits they receive?
Procurement and employment equity
A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: Do you procure goods and services in line with the Charter's targets for black-owned and black women-owned suppliers and mining goods, and track the spend? Do you meet the employment equity targets for each level of management, and report on them? Do you invest in the skills of your people through training, bursaries and portable skills, and record the spend?
Communities, plans and reporting
A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: Do you have a Social and Labour Plan that has been approved, and do you carry out its projects for host communities and labour-sending areas? Do you consult host communities, and record their needs and your response, as part of mine community development? Do you provide housing and living conditions for employees as the Charter and your plan require? Do you submit your annual Charter compliance report to the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources by its due date, with evidence?
How to comply, step by step
- Status of the Charter and ownership. Get legal advice on which Charter and guidelines apply to your right and when it was granted or renewed. Keep share registers, agreements and evidence of ownership structures and recognised transactions. Maintain a register of beneficiaries and distributions, and report them when asked.
- Procurement and employment equity. Run a spend analysis by supplier category every year, and set targets by category. See the EEA assessment, and align your employment equity plan with Charter targets. See the Skills Development assessment, and keep training records for the Charter report.
- Communities, plans and reporting. Track every Social and Labour Plan commitment with a budget and a progress report. Keep consultation records and a community development register. Report on housing against the Charter's standard and your plan. Keep the evidence file for every scorecard element through the year, and submit on time.
Sources and review status
Compiled from the public sources below. It is not legal advice and has not been reviewed by a lawyer. Last researched 2026-11-01. This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, so check the current text and the regulator's notices before relying on it.
- Publication of Mining Charter III (Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer)
- Mining Charter 2018: key elements in the implementation guidelines (Werksmans)
- Minerals Council seeks judicial review of the Mining Charter (CNBC Africa)
- Mining Charter, Government Gazette 41934 (PMG)
- South Africa's new BEE regulation: mining rights renewal requires 26% black ownership (SMM)
Every Mining Charter control, organised for you
The real control library ComplianceDesk seeds the moment you activate Mining Charter — 7 controls across 4 categories.
Ownership & Procurement
- MINE-1.1 Black ownership targets met and verified
- MINE-1.2 Procurement from HDP-owned suppliers tracked
Employment Equity & Skills Development
- MINE-2.1 Employment equity targets at all occupational levels
- MINE-2.2 Skills development and mentorship programmes implemented
Mine Community Development
- MINE-3.1 Social and Labour Plan implemented
- MINE-3.2 Mine community development projects implemented
Housing & Living Conditions
- MINE-4.1 Housing and living conditions standards met
Frequently asked questions
How can I check where my business stands on Mining Charter?
Take the free self-assessment. It scores each area, lists your gaps with what to do about each one, and does not say you are compliant. You can save the result to ComplianceDesk to turn each gap into a task with an owner and a due date.
Is this guide written by a lawyer?
No. It was assembled from the public sources listed below and has not been reviewed by a lawyer. Treat it as a starting point and check the current law before relying on it.
How many controls does ComplianceDesk track for Mining Charter?
7, organised into 4 categories, ready to assign to an owner as soon as you activate the framework.
Can I track Mining Charter alongside other frameworks?
Yes — most teams activate several frameworks at once. Controls that overlap across frameworks can share the same evidence, so you don't collect the same document twice.
How long does it take to set up Mining Charter in ComplianceDesk?
Activating Mining Charter instantly seeds its full control library. Most teams assign owners and get their first controls moving within a day.
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