Limpopo to open first mining academy in 2027 — TimesLIVE

The authorities of South Africa’s Limpopo province plan to open the first academy of mining and mineral beneficiation in 2027. The institution is expected to begin operating in Sekhukhune, TimesLIVE reports.

Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba confirmed these plans while responding to a post on X about the province’s access to higher education. The post compared the number of universities in Limpopo with the project for a new campus of the Afrikaans-language institution Akademia in Pretoria, valued at 3.2 billion rand.

Training for the extractive sector

According to Ramathuba, the planned academy will provide specialized personnel training related to the mining industry value chain. Provincial authorities view the initiative as part of plans to tackle unemployment, poverty and underdevelopment in Limpopo’s mining belt.

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The premier first announced the project on May 5, 2026, when presenting the Office of the Premier’s budget for the 2026/27 financial year in the provincial legislature. The department’s total budget amounted to 653.531 million rand.

The province’s education network

According to South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training, Limpopo has two public universities: the University of Limpopo and the University of Venda. Tshwane University of Technology, which has campuses in several provinces, also has a campus in Polokwane.

There are seven public technical and vocational education and training colleges operating in the province. In addition, the University of Limpopo established a medical school in 2016 — the first medical school at a university in South Africa to open after 1994.