Rustenburg Trust creates sustainable future beyond mining for 50,000 residents

As G20 leaders turn their attention to inclusive and sustainable growth, the Rustenburg Community Development Trust (RCDT) demonstrates how global goals can be achieved. Established in 2014, the ten-year-old Trust has invested mining royalties into 15 active programmes that have benefited more than 50,000 residents across 65 villages, creating new livelihoods in agriculture, small manufacturing, and enterprise development.

One such initiative, EcoBakery in Marikana, exemplifies this model of locally driven enterprise. The neighbourhood-focused bakery offers freshly baked goods with a local touch, including bread, rolls, budget red cakes, Chelsea buns, biscuits, school buns, fat cakes, doughnuts, and eggs.

What started as a community idea has grown into a small business that employs young people and supplies nearby schools, proof that local innovation can emerge from Rustenburg’s mining heartland.

With mining output stagnating and unemployment increasing nationwide, RCDT’s community-led model has become a microcosm of South Africa’s post-mining transition, aligning with G20 calls for resilient local economies and inclusive development. Its five-pillar strategy, Mining, Beyond Mining, Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Economic Development, aims to create a “producer economy” where residents become active creators of value.

RCDT's 10-year dedication to sustainable upliftment has delivered lasting impacts through grassroots projects in agriculture, manufacturing, and sports. Agricultural initiatives have empowered thousands of beneficiaries with crop cultivation, boosting food security, employment, and eco-friendly practices for climate resilience. Manufacturing programs build small enterprises, converting raw materials into products that enhance local economies, cut mining dependency, and raise incomes by 20%. Sports efforts promote youth health, cohesion, and leadership, fostering adaptable communities and long-term partnerships for enduring socio-economic effects.

As we mark 10 years, we're proud of our community-led approach that has turned visions into realities, from skills development to economic diversification. Our focus on self-determination ensures that Rustenburg's residents drive their own progress, creating lasting change beyond the mines.

RCDT will present its 2024/25 financial results and strategic plan at its Annual General Meeting on November 27, 2025, hosted at the RCDT Hub in PaardeKraal, Rustenburg, where new community board members will also be introduced.

In 2024/25, we've touched lives in profound ways, delivering programmes that equip citizens with the tools to adapt and thrive. Across 65 villages, we've seen entrepreneurs emerge, families stabilize, and communities unite. This is the power of partnerships, a sustainable impact that resonates at the grassroots level.

* Makama is the chairperson, and Thihane is the operations manager at RCDT.

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