Science and technology minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane and mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe on Friday launched the Mandela mining precinct in Melville, Johannesburg.

The launch is one of the outcomes of the Mining Phakisa, a government initiative to bring together all stakeholders to identify barriers and develop a shared vision for long-term development and transformation of the industry.

The mining precinct aims to support local innovation to provide technological solutions to the challenges faced by the mining industry in South Africa, including mineworkers' health and safety. The event started with ministers visiting different exhibitions outside the venue. 

The mining precinct is a collaboration between the department of science and technology, the Minerals Council South Africa and the universities of Johannesburg, Pretoria and Witswatersrand.

The institution named after former president Nelson Mandela will help to position mining as a core driver of world-class technological and manufacturing capabilities for the development of the economy.