Exxaro Resources has opened New Mine 1 at its Matla Coal Mine in Mpumalanga, part of a R5.2 billion life-of-mine expansion expected to add about 4.2 million tonnes of coal a year. Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe attended the opening on Friday and pushed back on the idea that coal is a dying industry, pointing instead to ongoing safety improvements and investment in the sector.

Mantashe, who worked at Matla as a miner and union organiser earlier in his career, called the expansion "a journey back home." Matla now employs 6,174 workers including contractors, and supplies coal to Eskom's Matla Power Station under an extended supply agreement, with Eskom describing the project as central to securing the country's energy supply.