In this episode of the Cutting Edge, Nyaniso Rapiya (ESD & Preferential Procurement Manager at Seriti Resources) and Nabeela Vally (Business Development Head at Edge Growth) break down how mining houses can transform their ESD & SME Development initiatives from compliance exercises into engines of local economic growth. Collectively, they tackle the tough questions facing South Africa’s mining sector and share proven strategies that create resilient and self-sustaining SMEs. This discussion covers: ↳ How to evolve your ESD approach beyond basic mentorship and funding ↳ Why traditional SME support models often fail to deliver sustainable growth ↳ Which metrics actually matter when measuring SME development ↳ Where to find opportunities for cross-sector collaboration ↳ When to introduce funding vs capability building ↳ How to integrate ESG principles into supplier development programmes ↳ What it takes to build SMEs that thrive beyond life of mine 🟢 Ideal for mining executives, procurement leaders, and ESD practitioners who want to move beyond tick-box transformation and build genuinely sustainable local supply chains.