What is it about?
Company documents were analyzed for 33 coal mines with 47,100 coal workers. Permanent and contract workers were compared by gender, race, origin and education. Coal worker income was analyzed across municipalities using income tax data. A mine site-level risk assessment was undertaken of all coal workers affected by the energy transition. Finally, spatial mapping was done to identify hotspots of coal phase-down in South Africa.
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Why is it important?
This is the first time anyone has used Social and Labour Plans to understand more about coal workers in South Africa. This rich dataset gives insight into the gender, race and education levels of workers, and therefore how they may be more or less affected by the energy transition, where coal job losses are likely.
Perspectives
It's about taking the national dialogue to the level of the individual coal workers, asking 'Who are these men and women who are facing possible job loss?' And that in turn allows us to think more carefully about what do we need to do to help them cope with the economic shock heading their way.
Dr Megan Cole
University of Cape Town
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Profiling risk in South Africa's just transition: Who is left behind?, Energy Research & Social Science, November 2025, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2025.104351.
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