South Africa
In 2018, in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education, we launched the Anglo American South Africa Education Programme, which aims to provide wide-ranging and quality education for an estimated 126,000 learners and 4,000 teachers at 193 schools (combination of primary and secondary) and 190 Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in communities around our mining operations.
The programme, which includes supporting school management teams, governing bodies, principals and teaching staff to operate more effectively, aims to improve literacy, numeracy, mathematics and English levels by addressing some of the underlying reasons for poor education outcomes.
Since 2018, over 80% of ECD centres have been supported in compliance and registration, and all schools are now connected to WiFi, and have received a comprehensive technology toolkit, including laptops, tablets, mobile trolleys and projectors.
Between 2023 and 2024, 59% of supported schools had shown improvement in physical sciences results, while mathematics pass rates rose from 47.5% in 2019 to 67.5% in 2024. Additionally, over 4,000 teachers have been trained in mathematics, science and English First Additional Language.
In 2024, we engaged in a comprehensive consultation process involving multiple stakeholders, including the Department of Education, UNESCO, Education reform non-profit organisations and other mining companies, in supporting education programmes in order to share learnings and enhance our own Education Programme. This collaboration revealed opportunities for improvement, prompting the introduction of Ubuntu, a new initiative that emphasises shared responsibility among schools, parents and children. This component not only fosters care and support, but also prioritises the psychosocial well-being of learners, encouraging holistic development and community engagement.
