Reading · Women in Geopolitics

For many Africans, mining is not simply an industry. It is part of the story of families, communities, migration, economic opportunity and social transformation.

For Babalwa, that story is deeply personal.

Growing up in rural Eastern Cape, she witnessed the impact of South Africa’s mining industry on rural communities as men travelled to the mines while women remained behind, often taking on leadership roles within their families and communities.

She saw women organise agriculture, manage households and keep communities functioning while supporting the development of their families.

For her, this experience revealed something important: women have always been leaders in Africa’s economic and social life, even when their leadership was not formally recognised.

But Babalwa also acknowledges the painful legacy of mining—the loss of lives, health impacts, environmental damage and communities bearing the costs of extraction.

Her message is not to reject Africa’s mineral wealth, but to learn from the past and change the way Africa uses its resources in the future.

Africa’s minerals must create value for Africans.

That means responsible extraction, stronger local participation, skills development, environmental protection and an enabling regulatory environment that allows communities, indigenous groups, women and smaller enterprises to participate in the mineral economy.

She also calls for Africa to retain the institutional memory of what worked and what failed in the past rather than simply abandoning everything associated with the old mining economy.

The transition to the green economy, she argues, must not reproduce the inequalities and environmental damage of the past.

At the heart of her vision is Ubuntu—the African principle of recognising our shared humanity and responsibility to one another.

For Babalwa, this means established mining companies supporting junior and small-scale miners, sharing knowledge and equipment, mentoring emerging players and ensuring that mineral wealth creates opportunities across the wider economy.

It also means remembering that natural resources cannot be separated from the environment that sustains them.

Water, land, biodiversity and communities are not obstacles to development. They are part of the wealth that Africa must protect.

Ultimately, Babalwa challenges Africa to rethink what success in mining looks like.

It cannot simply be the volume of minerals extracted or the revenues generated.

Success must be measured by whether Africa’s mineral wealth creates skills, enterprises, jobs, stronger communities, sustainable industries and prosperity for Africans.

Her message is a powerful reminder:

“Let’s just remember who we are and apply that within the sector that is at the core of our economic growth and development.”

Africa is richly endowed. The challenge is to ensure that the value of that wealth remains connected to the people, communities and future generations of the continent.

The Women in Geopolitics Debate Series is a high-level thought-leadership platform dedicated to amplifying African voices, particularly women’s voices, in conversations on geopolitics, global affairs, governance, leadership and development.

Through dialogue with women leaders, diplomats, policymakers, business leaders, academics and experts from across Africa and beyond, the programme is building a growing archive of African women’s perspectives on the issues shaping our continent and our world.

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Madelein Mkunu is the President of Leading Women of Africa (LWA), a Pan-African social enterprise promoting women's leadership in economic development, and the founder of Beyond Boundaries, a global content and advocacy platform amplifying African women’s voices in policy, peacebuilding, and development. A bilingual English–French strategist and accomplished public speaker, she brings over 20 years of experience in gender mainstreaming, inclusive governance, and stakeholder engagement across Africa and globally. She holds an MBA and a Master’s in Management from IEDC-Bled School of Management (Slovenia), a Postgraduate Degree in Development Studies from the University of the Western Cape (South Africa), a Certificate in Leadership from the Dale Carnegie Institute, and is an alumna of Michigan State University’s Women Empowerment Programme. With a background in accounting and a passion for transformative change, Madelein is a trusted advisor to institutions seeking Africa-rooted development solutions.

Babalwa Fatyi: Africa’s Mineral Wealth Must Transform African Lives

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