IN THE NEWS

PTWC Special Report Part 4: The Problem with the Public Participation Process 

In the fourth part of our series of excerpts from the Protect the West Coast (PTWC) Special Report ‘The Tipping Point’, we unpack the Public Participation Process (PPP), which affects South African prospecting and mining applications. PPP is governed by the controversial 2014 One Environmental System (EOS), which is designed to fast-track all environmental authorisations into a single process. However, although it appears robust on paper, the PPP contains flaws that undermine its effectiveness, such as a lack of transparency, a lack of meaningful public involvement, and poorly researched or absent documentation.

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October 1, 2026

PTWC announces plan to create Africa’s first World Surfing Reserve on the West Coast

A collaboration between Protect the West Coast (PTWC) and the community of Elands Bay to apply for World Surfing Reserve status was revealed last week at the Save The Waves Film Festival in Cape Town. The designation provides for the protection of the ‘surf ecosystem’ and the environment and community around it, with measures to ensure responsible development that safeguards marine biodiversity, subsistence fishing, indigenous culture and ecotourism. Included is the vitally important Ramsar-listed Velorenvlei Estuary that feeds into the ocean at the surf spot.

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October 1, 2026

PTWC Film ‘Out of Mined’ continues to make waves around the world

The Protect the West Coast (PTWC) film ‘Out of Mined’ continues to make an impact around the world and at home in South Africa, including the Richtersveld in the Northern Cape, whose Nama community features in the film as one of the worst affected by mining on the West Coast. The film, which was recently screened in Sanddrif, sparked an impassioned debate by community members about how to protect their heritage. ‘Out of Mined’ has also been selected for global film festivals, and will screen at major international conferences, such as the San Diego Climate Week in October.

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October 1, 2026
Map showing Trans Hex marine concessions 11A, 12A, 13A, 11B, 12B and 13B along the West Coast between the Olifants River area and the Northern Cape.

PTWC appeals 32,000 hectare Trans Hex West Coast offshore prospecting authorisation 

Protect the West Coast (PTWC) has filed an appeal against a recent Environmental Authorisation (EA) granted to Trans Hex Heavy Minerals Mining to prospect on the seabed off the West Coast, alongside 10 co-appellants, including two government entities. As part of Trans Hex’s broader strategy to expand mining operations into offshore environments, multi-commodity prospecting will run for five years and the EA allows for more than 4,500 samples in six marine concessions – 11A, 12A, 13A, 11B, 12B, and 13B – over roughly 32,000 hectares (ha).

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October 1, 2026

Out of Mined: Profile of Portrait Photographer Gary Van Wyk

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 balanced with sensitivity to your subject. This ability, and the technical skills that come with experience, has enabled Gary to produce some of the finest portrait photographs of indigenous people you will see, from the Huni Kuin tribe of the deep Amazon jungle, to the Nama people of the vast Richtersveld, writes PTWC’s Steve Pike

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September 10, 2026

Save the Waves Festival joins PTWC in Cape Town

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 September. Join us for films about surfing, adventure travel and ocean conservation and a panel discussion about the work of Save the Waves in preserving vital surf ecosystems around the world.

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September 9, 2026

PTWC Special Report Series. Part 3: Culture and Colonisation

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 its impact on the culture of the indigenous population, including the Khoekhoe and Nama people, who have suffered under combination of state capture, mismanaged funds, dysfunctional governance, failed joint ventures, and rapidly declining mineral resources, leading to widespread poverty.

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September 3, 2026

Legal Update: Flurry of Five EAs Exposes Fault Lines in Mining Process

Protect the West Coast’s (PTWC) legal team has revealed a disturbing trend about what it terms reckless decision-making that leads to environmental authorisations for extractive, industrial and development projects in South Africa. PTWC lawyers lodged five appeals in July alone against Environmental Authorisations (EAs) for mining and prospecting in three provinces that it contends should not have been granted. This follows an article in Daily Maverick that called out the miniscule national rate of refused authorisations (3.5%) for such projects over the last two years.

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September 3, 2026

Koos Malgas the Gannet Lands in Lambert’s Bay

Koos Malgas, the 100kg sculpture of a Cape gannet that stands six metres tall, has found his final resting place at the Lambert’s Bay Bird Island Nature Reserve on the West Coast, along with thousands of other Cape gannets, making it the perfect spot for Koos. Crafted from driftwood for Protect the West Coast (PTWC) by Kommetjie artist Chip Snaddon, he is an iconic symbol of the threatened fauna and flora of the West Coast, and already a hit with visitors.

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August 21, 2026

PTWC Special Report Series. Part 2: A Short History of Mining

In the second part of our series from the recent Protect the West Coast (PTWC) Special Report ‘The Tipping Point’, we take a brief look at the history of the West Coast, going back millions of years to the explosive upheavals that forged the hardest substance known to humankind, the diamond. We track the discovery of diamonds, and the growth of mining that spread across the landscape over almost 100 years of resource extraction.

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August 5, 2026

The Storyteller: Q&A with ‘Out of Mined’ Film Director Arthur Neumeier

Arthur Neumeier, the director behind the Eyeforce and Protect the West Coast (PTWC) film ‘Out of Mined’ has built a reputation as one of South Africa’s top adventure and extreme sports filmmakers. As evidenced by the cinematic quality of the movie – which won a Cannes Film Award in July – the Netherlands-born film maker’s work has shifted towards more purpose-driven storytelling, especially environmental issues with a positive impact. In this Q&A with Arthur, he breaks down the journey that enabled him to make a powerful film that has resonated deeply with audiences.

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July 22, 2026

Estuaries: The Hidden Habitats That Keep the West Coast Alive

Scattered along the West Coast are some of the most important yet least protected ecosystems in the country. Estuaries are a key ecological infrastructure, supporting water and food security, tourism, recreation, flood and coastal erosion protection, carbon sequestration and rich biodiversity. These fascinating ecosystems also hold a deep cultural and spiritual meaning for South Africa’s coastal communities, and quietly sustain life along our coast. In the face of growing threats from mining, as well as oil and gas and coastal developments we must ensure the West Coast’s estuaries continue to thrive.

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July 22, 2026