In 2023, the government committed to improve the regulatory environment by developing and putting in place a new cadastre system to assist in the operation of a modern mining rights administration system.
Image: Supplied
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) says South Africa's long-awaited mining cadastre system is progressing steadily towards a nationwide rollout in a bid to modernise the regulation of mineral resources.
This new digital cadastre will replace the outdated and highly criticized SAMRAD (South African Mineral Resources Administration Database) system. The department said the new cadastre system is expected to significantly improve transparency, reduce administrative delays and strengthen investor confidence in South Africa's mining licensing framework.
This comes as the government is emphasising that accurate historical data migration remains the key to ensuring the system's credibility and legal integrity.
In 2023, the government committed to improve the regulatory environment by developing and putting in place a new cadastre system to assist in the operation of a modern mining rights administration system.
Addressing stakeholders during a progress briefing on the implementation of the new mining licensing system on Monday, director-general Jacob Mbele said the project was designed to improve transparency, efficiency and certainty in the administration of mineral rights across the country.
Mbele stressed that the success of the cadastre system hinges on adherence to two fundamental principles of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA): that mineral rights applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, and that multiple applications for the same mineral right on the same land cannot be accepted while an existing application is under consideration.
"These principles are important because they are what a licensing process is supposed to be able to do," Mbele said.
He warned that a successful cadastre rollout would not be possible unless all historical rights information is accurately migrated into the new system.
"There can never be a successful cadastral process rollout if historical data, including data for those rights that have been awarded already, is not populated into the cadastre," he said.
Mbele noted that extensive work has been undertaken to ensure the accuracy of historical records before migration to avoid legal disputes and uncertainty over mining rights ownership.
The department's project manager, Vuyiswa Ramosangoana, outlined the progress made in developing and testing the system, which has been piloted in the Western Cape.
She said the project had been divided into several workstreams, including system development, data collection and migration, governance and risk management, geospatial mapping and technical support.
"The system is very complex. It was important for us to segment it to ensure that any activities that are running parallel are being monitored closely to ensure successful development," Ramosangoana said.
According to the department, the Western Cape pilot has already delivered several key functionalities, including client registration, online application lodgement, document submission, payment processing and application management.
The platform also incorporates a geospatial grid component that allows applicants and officials to identify available land, existing rights and environmental restrictions.
Amsonwana said the next phase of development would focus on rights renewals, amendments, transfers and appeals management, with testing currently underway.
"What we want to do in the next month is ensure that cycle two, which includes renewal of rights, transfer of shares and amendments, is also deployed," she said.
The department indicated that applications are already being processed through the system in the Western Cape, demonstrating that the platform is functioning as intended.
It plans to expand implementation to multiple provinces simultaneously rather than following a province-by-province approach.
Ramosangoana explained that deployment timelines would depend largely on the readiness of regional data for migration.
"Any region that has its data ready, we will then start with client registration, application lodgement and follow all those cycles," she said.
Western Cape regional manager Peter Swartz, one of the system's designated "super users", demonstrated how applicants can register online, submit applications, track progress and manage mining rights through a central dashboard.
He said the platform provides applicants with real-time updates, electronic document management and online payment facilities.
"Everything is central and easy to use and user-friendly for the users," Swartz said.
The system also enables users to monitor the status of applications, manage environmental obligations, access approved documentation and view payment schedules linked to mining rights.
Meanwhile, Tyrell Mohan from the Western Cape regional office showcased the integrated map viewer, which combines mining rights data with information from multiple government departments and agencies.
The mapping platform allows prospective applicants to identify conservation areas, protected zones, servitudes, municipal boundaries and existing mining rights before lodging applications.
While challenges remain around historical data migration, the department believes the successful testing of the software in the Western Cape has laid a solid foundation for a faster rollout across the rest of the country in the coming months.
BUSINESS REPORT