Deep threats of drilling the Orange Basin
Climate change, over-fishing and oil-related pollution are collapsing the marine environment off the West Coast. Now there’s the added threat of off-shore oil and gas exploration...
14 November, 2025
#MineAlert: Tracking mining applications and licences across Africa.
LATEST #MINEALERT INVESTIGATIONS
Sand baroness’ unfettered mining highlights crisis on the banks of the Limpopo River
Judge slams authorities for not stopping illegal sand mining, but Limpopo businesswoman insists she has the right to mine. Chris Gilili investigates
19 September, 2025
Coal’s slow death in Mpumalanga
As jobs disappear from the coal belt, Middelburg’s economy is buckling. Unpaid rates, collapsing businesses and stalled transition support are deepening the crisis
20 January, 2026
Sand baroness’ unfettered mining highlights crisis on the banks of the Limpopo River
Judge slams authorities for not stopping illegal sand mining, but Limpopo businesswoman insists she has the right to mine. Chris Gilili investigates
19 September, 2025
Coal’s slow death in Mpumalanga
As jobs disappear from the coal belt, Middelburg’s economy is buckling. Unpaid rates, collapsing businesses and stalled transition support are deepening the crisis
20 January, 2026
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Red flags along KZN’s South Coast
Andiswa Matikinca tracks concerns around critical minerals mining applications – and now a small harbour – in KwaZulu-Natal’s tourism mecca...
15 August, 2025 -
The Boegoeberg Blues: A small Nama tribe holds the key to the Orange Oil Basin’s future
A landmark ConCourt ruling has made the Nama people the gate-keepers of ambitious plans to turn the Northern Cape into an energy and mining hub. John Grobler investigates...
18 July, 2025 -
Limpopo rare earths project aims to clean up
A rare earths venture at the gateway to the Kruger National Park plans to rehabilitate environmental damage caused by at least six decades of mining. Marcia Moyana investigates...
12 February, 2025 -
Critical futures: What SA wants from its transition minerals
With vast deposits of minerals that make South Africa a key player in the green energy transition, Andiswa Matikinca investigates the future that stakeholders want to see...
02 December, 2024 -
Mining’s mess is JET’s opportunity
Mine rehabilitation presents an opportunity for environmental restoration and economic empowerment in the energy transition. Thabo Molelekwa investigates...
07 November, 2024 -
Hwange’s coal-mining horrors
Oscar Nkala travels to Hwange in north-western Zimbabwe to expose the environmental and health hazards caused by more than a century of coal mining...
05 September, 2024 -
‘We want a say in transition mining’ – DRC communities
Communities living on and working land in the DRC say they are not informed about mining permits for energy transition minerals. Jonas Kiriko speaks to them...
02 August, 2024 -
Cobalt crush undermines future of DRC’s community forests
Historic UN deal to restore degraded forest ecosystems in southeastern DRC is being torn apart by mining companies. Jonas Kiriko investigates...
22 July, 2024 -
Dark side to ‘a new dawn’
Tanzania is banking on its natural resources during the global transition to clean energy, but analysts warn there are dangers ahead. Oscar Nkala investigates...
12 July, 2024 -
Zambia tallies the costs of mining for electric batteries
Still reeling from environmental and public health problems caused by lead mining, the country now faces growing manganese demand for electric batteries. Oscar Nkala investigates...
16 April, 2024 -
The cobalt curse of the Congo
Cobalt is a critical energy transition mineral, but its use in batteries and electric vehicles comes at a high price for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Oscar Nkala investigates...
14 February, 2024 -
‘New energy’ rush is stripping DRC’s natural assets
Mining companies cashing in on global demand for cobalt are destroying protected nature reserves in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Jonas Kiriko investigates...
05 February, 2024 -
SA’s coal lobby pushes back against green transition
Coal lobbying has long been an influential force in South Africa’s politics and economy. Thabo Molelekwa investigates its impacts on green energy investments...
19 June, 2023 -
The status of SA’s energy transition financing
Much has been made about the US$8.5-billion pledged to support South Africa’s Just Energy Transition. Thabo Molelekwa investigates where it is...
23 May, 2023 -
A new light on the future of Eskom’s assets
A business coalition in SA’s energy heartland proposes a private take-over of Eskom’s assets – but not everyone agrees with privatising energy production. Andiswa Matikinca reports, with support from the Pulitzer Center...
15 May, 2023
TOOLS
#WildEye allows you to track environmental crime across the globe
#PowerTracker allows you to track renewable and coal based energy sources
#MineAlert allows you to track and share mining applications and licences
Track biodiversity threats caused by mining licences across Africa
Use ClimaTracker to track weather changes and how these will affect you
Exposing global environmental crime stories
Track developments in rhino poaching court cases across Southern Africa
Instant access to data on rhino deaths and poaching incidents since 2010
#GreenAlert helps you track & share environmental impact assessments
GET INVOLVED
#MineAlert is a project of Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism, and is based on #GreenAlert, which allows users to track environmental impact assessments in the same way
Supported by Code for Africa & The Open Society Foundation for South Africa (OSF-SA) | Developed by ScienceLink
