As a former press photographer who worked with Eyeforce to make the award-winning film ‘Out of Mined’ for Protect the West Coast (PTWC), Gary Van Wyk is well versed in high-pressure situations, when getting the shot on deadline must be
Some of the best short films from around the world will be screened at the upcoming Save the Waves Film Festival, presented by Protect the West Coast and Wavescape at the Labia Theatre in Cape Town on Wednesday 23
In the third part of our series of excerpts from the recent Protect the West Coast (PTWC) Special Report publication ‘The Tipping Point’, we look at the history of mining on the West Coast through the prism of colonisation and
Protect The West Coast is dedicated to informing and empowering civil society to stand against unjust mining activity on the West Coast. We believe in wielding the power of legal action to hold companies and the government accountable. We inspire a deep connection to the region’s biodiversity and cultural heritage.
From the Orange River to Cape Columbine, hundreds of kilometres of the South Africa’s West Coast coastline are being mined, or have been earmarked for mining. These industrial-scale extractions have lasting consequences for local communities, fisheries and the natural environment, for generations to come.
Donate, fundraise, volunteer and share on social. We are looking for all the help we can get. So, please assist us in protecting this magical stretch of coastline that thousands of plants, animals and people call home.
Our goals for 2026/27 are to:
Mining, despite providing limited short-term economic benefits, adversely affects ecosystems and has a much larger detrimental knock-on effect on the broader West Coast environment, economy and society over the long term.
There are scores of prospecting and mining applications, as well as numerous active mines, along the West Coast.
One Ocean Hub (OOH) researchers at the Environmental and Geographical Science Department at the University of Cape Town (UCT) have developed a much needed integrated project to monitor, document and map all applications for prospecting and mining, including oil and gas exploration, on the West Coast of South Africa.
Since PTWC’s inception, and through the work we’ve done tracking these applications, it has become apparent that there’s been a sharp rise in applications for prospecting and mining for heavy mineral sands and diamonds in the region, as well as for oil and gas exploration and production. These activities have raised significant concern among coastal communities and their social partners.
