Abstract

The mining sector remains a cornerstone of South Africa’s economy, yet its supply chain (SC) processes face persistent inefficiencies that undermine operational performance and global competitiveness. This study aimed to explore the current state of supply chain processes in South African mining, examining how policies, technology, governance, and operational practices collectively shape SC effectiveness. Understanding the status of these processes is academically and practically important, as mining SCs are capital-intensive, production-driven, and directly impact employment, exports, and economic growth, yet empirical insights in developing contexts remain limited. Adopting an interpretivist qualitative approach, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with 31 SC managers across 16 mining organisations, employing thematic analysis supported by ATLAS.ti to identify patterns, relationships, and sector-specific dynamics. Findings reveal a paradoxical state: SC processes are formally robust, technologically enabled, and governance-driven, yet fragmented in implementation, constrained by limited human capacity, siloed communication, infrastructure decay, and regulatory rigidity. Policy adherence, performance monitoring, and ERP systems provide structural stability, but relational coordination failures and contextual pressures compromise overall effectiveness. The study concludes that South African mining SCs exemplify governance-driven and technologically aware systems that are operationally brittle, providing a theoretical contribution by demonstrating how Network Theory, Resource-Based Theory, and SERVQUAL collectively explain relational and context-specific SC vulnerabilities. Practically, the findings suggest that mining firms should pursue relationally integrated, capability-driven SC management, strengthening cross-functional coordination, strategic human capital development, digital integration, and context-sensitive procurement and risk strategies to enhance resilience, responsiveness, and sustainable performance.