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The potential multiplier effect of open-cast coal mining on maize production in the Mpumalanga Highveld
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867614047812190208 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Beukes, Ryno Van Dyk |
| author2 | Geyer, H. S. |
| author_browse | Beukes, Ryno Van Dyk Geyer, H. S. |
| author_facet | Geyer, H. S. Beukes, Ryno Van Dyk |
| author_sort | Beukes, Ryno Van Dyk |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132068 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:45:50.231Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132068 The potential multiplier effect of open-cast coal mining on maize production in the Mpumalanga Highveld Beukes, Ryno Van Dyk Geyer, H. S. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies. Corn -- Breeding -- South Africa -- Mpumalanga Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa -- Mpumalanga Food security -- Africa, Sub-Saharan Climatic changes UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Beukes, R. 2025. The Potential Multiplier Effect of Open-Cast Coal Mining on Maize Production in the Mpumalanga Highveld. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/c62042f2-b92a-4126-9351-0ad50f360400 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Delmas-Middelburg-Bethal (DMB) region contains some of the most productive high-potential agricultural lands in sub-Saharan Africa and is a major maize-producing region. It is also situated on one of the most valuable coal seams in sub-Saharan Africa and is a major source of energy in the region. The study area thus experiences competing demands for coal to provide cheap energy necessary for economic growth and demands for maize yields to provide cheap food necessary for food security. Sub-Saharan Africa experiences high levels of volatility in maize production, and therefore securing the constant supply of maize exports is necessary to address food security in the region. Southern Africa performs an important function in maize exports to sub-Saharan Africa due to its significant production and distribution capacities. However, maize production is under threat in the most important maize-growing area of Mpumalanga due to the expansion of mining activities in the region. Most farms in the region have mining claims, half of which are mined using open-cast mining techniques. Open-cast mining irreparably destroys the soil properties hydrology and topography of the land making future maize cultivation impossible on restored land. The research aims to evaluate the effect of open-cast coal mining on maize production and its corresponding effect on food security in maize-vulnerable countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This relates to the competing Zero hunger and zero poverty priorities of the UN sustainable development goals. The study evaluates the various multiplier impacts of coal mining on maize production, by evaluating the changes in maize production yields in the DMB before and after the significant increase in mining activities in the study area. The study employs a case study approach, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. The study utilised agricultural industry and production data to statistically analyse the volatility of maize production in the study area and sub-Saharan Africa. Qualitatively, the study utilised semi-structured interviews with specialists in agriculture, mining and the insurance industries to evaluate possible impacts that might affect the analysis of data. The study results indicate that food security is a significant challenge due to an exponential growth in consumer demand for maize as well as the increasing volatility of maize production linked to climate change effects. South Africa has emerged as a net export region for maize, and the study area of the DMB stabilises the volatility in yields due to its high yield per hectare rate and low variability in yields. Although the study area experienced a decline in hectares cultivated under maize, the decline preceded the growth of mining activities, increasing yields reduced the shortfall in production. Therefore open-cast coal mining in the DMB region did not have a significant effect on the maize production in the study area. In contrast, maize production in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a growth in land area, but not a growth in yields per hectare or a reduction in annual output volatility. Besides South Africa and Zambia, the maize export surpluses are negligible, and production growth is often superseded by a commensurate growth in consumption demand. Therefore, the DMB region is expected to continue to be an important source of maize to ensure food security in sub-Saharan Africa, despite the increase in open-cast mining activities in the DMB region. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Delmas-Middelburg-Bethal (DMB)-streek bevat van die mees produktiewe hoëpotensiaal-landbougrond in Sub-Sahara Afrika en is 'n belangrike mielieproduserende streek. Dit is ook geleë op een van die waardevolste steenkool-some in Sub-Sahara Afrika en is 'n belangrike bron van energie in die streek. Die studiegebied ervaar dus mededingende eise vir steenkool om goedkoop energie te verskaf wat nodig is vir ekonomiese groei en eise vir mielie-opbrengste om goedkoop voedsel te verskaf wat nodig is vir voedselsekerheid. Sub-Sahara Afrika ervaar hoë vlakke van wisselvalligheid in mielieproduksie, en daarom is die versekering van die konstante voorraad mielie-uitvoere nodig om voedselsekerheid in die streek aan te spreek. Suid Afrika vervul 'n belangrike funksie in mielie-uitvoer na Sub-Sahara Afrika as gevolg van sy beduidende produksie- en verspreidingsvermoë. Mielieproduksie word egter bedreig in die belangrikste mielieverbouingsgebied van Mpumalanga weens die uitbreiding van mynbouaktiwiteite in die streek. Die meeste plase in die streek het mynbou permit aansoeke, waarvan die helfte met oopgroefmyntegnieke ontgin word. Oopgroefmynbou vernietig die grondeienskappe, hidrologie en topografie van die land tot onherstelbare vlakke, wat toekomstige mielieverbouing op herwinde grond onmoontlik maak. Die navorsing het ten doel om die effek van oopgroefsteenkoolmynbou op mielieproduksie en die ooreenstemmende effek daarvan op voedselsekerheid in voedsel-kwesbare lande in Sub-Sahara Afrika te evalueer. Dit hou verband met die mededingende prioriteite vir zero honger en zero armoede van die VN se volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelwitte. Die studie evalueer die verskillende vermenigvuldiger-impakte van steenkoolmynbou op mielieproduksie deur die veranderinge in mielieproduksie-opbrengste in die DMB voor en na die beduidende toename in mynbouaktiwiteite in die studiegebied te evalueer. Die studie gebruik 'n gevallestudiebenadering wat kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe tegnieke kombineer. Die studie het landboubedryf- en produksiedata gebruik om die wisselvalligheid van mielieproduksie in die studiegebied en Afrika suid van die Sahara statisties te ontleed. Die studie het kwalitatief semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met spesialiste in landbou, mynbou en die versekeringsbedryf gebruik om moontlike impakte wat die ontleding van data kan beïnvloed, te evalueer. Die studieresultate dui daarop dat voedselsekerheid 'n beduidende uitdaging is as gevolg van 'n eksponensiële groei in verbruikersvraag na mielies sowel as die toenemende wisselvalligheid van mielieproduksie wat verband hou met klimaatsveranderingseffekte. Suid-Afrika het na vore getree as 'n netto uitvoerstreek vir mielies, en die studiegebied van die DMB stabiliseer die wisselvalligheid in opbrengste as gevolg van sy hoë opbrengs per hektaar en lae veranderlikheid in opbrengste. Hoewel die studiegebied 'n afname in hektare wat onder mielies verbou is ervaar het, het die afname die groei van mynbouaktiwiteite voorafgegaan, terwyl toenemende opbrengste die tekort in produksie verminder het. Oopgroefsteenkoolmynbou in die DMB-streek het dus nie 'n noemenswaardige effek op die mielieproduksie in die studiegebied gehad nie. Daarteenoor ervaar mielieproduksie in die res van Sub-Sahara Afrika 'n groei in grondoppervlakte, maar nie 'n groei in opbrengste per hektaar nie. Benewens Suid-Afrika en Zambië, is die mielie-uitvoersurplusse weglaatbaar, en produksiegroei word dikwels vervang deur 'n eweredige groei in verbruiksvraag. Daarom word verwag dat die DMB-streek steeds 'n belangrike bron van mielies sal wees om voedselsekerheid in Afrika suid van die Sahara te verseker, ten spyte van die toename in oopgroefmynaktiwiteite in die DMB-streek. Masters 2025-05-22T07:44:50Z 2025-05-22T07:44:50Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132068 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 106 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Corn -- Breeding -- South Africa -- Mpumalanga Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa -- Mpumalanga Food security -- Africa, Sub-Saharan Climatic changes UCTD Beukes, Ryno Van Dyk The potential multiplier effect of open-cast coal mining on maize production in the Mpumalanga Highveld |
| title | The potential multiplier effect of open-cast coal mining on maize production in the Mpumalanga Highveld |
| title_full | The potential multiplier effect of open-cast coal mining on maize production in the Mpumalanga Highveld |
| title_fullStr | The potential multiplier effect of open-cast coal mining on maize production in the Mpumalanga Highveld |
| title_full_unstemmed | The potential multiplier effect of open-cast coal mining on maize production in the Mpumalanga Highveld |
| title_short | The potential multiplier effect of open-cast coal mining on maize production in the Mpumalanga Highveld |
| title_sort | potential multiplier effect of open cast coal mining on maize production in the mpumalanga highveld |
| topic | Corn -- Breeding -- South Africa -- Mpumalanga Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa -- Mpumalanga Food security -- Africa, Sub-Saharan Climatic changes UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132068 |
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