Boom or Bust for Emalahleni Businesses?

Dependence on a single resource like coal makes a town vulnerable to boom and bust cycles. Emalahleni’s mineworkers are particularly vulnerable because they are directly dependent on the mines’ growth or decline, but local businesses are also at risk, being indirectly dependent. Many local businesses do not directly benefit from mining, as the mines and the mineworkers tend to bypass the local value chains. The procurement systems of mines are often linked to large business elsewhere. But, do local businesses benefit from the mining industry, and the question is how these businesses plan for decline. Natural abundance of a mineral