Ubuntu Colliery
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Ubuntu Colliery is a mothballed coal mine in Delmas, Nkangala, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Colliery | Delmas, Nkangala, Mpumalanga, South Africa[1][2] | -26.1942024, 28.862812 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mothballed[3] | Care and Maintenance[3] | 2020 | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.9[1] | 0.83[1] | 2023[1] | Surface | Open Pit[1] | – | 60* | 689[4] |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.3[2] | 2024[2] | 36.9[2] | Witbank[5] | Bituminous | Thermal[2] | Coal Plant[6] |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Ndalamo Resources [51.00%]; Universal Coal PLC [49.00%][1] | TerraCom [49%]; Ndalamo Resources [51%] | Australia, South Africa |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | – | 0.5[4] | 1.55[4] | 1.44[7] | 0.83[1] | – | – |
Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker August 2026 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
Ubuntu Colliery is a surface coal mine located in the Emalahleni area within the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.[8] The Ubuntu coal project was first proposed under the name "Brakfontein" in 2011 by then-owner Universal Coal.[9] In 2018, the mine had all its regulatory authorizations granted.[10] Development began during FY2020 and by October 2020, the mine had reached steady-state production.[8]
Today, the Ubuntu colliery is jointly-owned by TerraCom and Ndalamo Resources. (In June 2020, TerraCom acquired 100% of Universal's shares.)[11]
The colliery is located approximately 25 kilometers south of the Kangala Colliery, which gives it the option to share processing infrastructure with Kangala.[8]
Care and Maintenance
In February 2023, Ubuntu was placed under care and maintenance following the conclusion of the coal agreement with Eskom in December 2022.[12] According to Terracom's 2024 annual report, the company continues to explore domestic coal sales opportunities which will allow the mine to return to an operational state.[12]
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 (PDF). 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20240218064930/https://terracomresources.listedcompany.com/newsroom/20231027_2924-02731800-2A1483735.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-02-18.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 (PDF) https://terracom.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-Annual-Report-to-Shareholders.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 (PDF) https://terracom.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2A1632786_TER.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 (PDF) https://terracomresources.listedcompany.com/newsroom/20211007_2924-02432525-2A1329389.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.dmre.gov.za/API/Evotiva-UserFiles/FileActionsServices/DownloadFile?ItemId=6805&ModuleId=1414&TabId=162.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.universalcoal.com/our-operations-and-projects/thermal-coal/ubuntu-thermal-coal.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.aspecthuntley.com.au/asxdata/20220930/pdf/02576385.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Terracom Limited Annual Report 2021, Terracom website, accessed October 2022.
- ↑ "2011 Minerals Yearbook: South Africa," "USGS," 2011.
- ↑ "ANNUAL REPORT 2018," "Universal Coal," 2019.
- ↑ Universal Coal, Our Operations and Projects: Overview, Company website, accessed October 2022.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 2024 Annual Report, Terracom, accessed October 2025.
