Earning a social licence to operate (SLO): A conflicted praxis in sub-Saharan Africa's mining landscape?

Abstract

Securing and maintaining a Social Licence to Operate (SLO) is fundamental to safeguarding mining investments, operations and the reputations of companies. This article critically examines the applicability of the concept of SLO to mining in sub-Saharan Africa. Using Ghana as a case study, the article provides a nuanced understanding of the context in which mining occurs in the region, and why the application of SLO to the region's mining environment is so problematic. The findings reveal that there are disagreements regarding the actual role an SLO plays in the region's mining setup’. There is a growing disparity between what mining companies purport to use the SLO for on the one hand, and the actual impact their social responsibility initiatives are having in the countries and communities that host their operations on the other hand. The paper calls for a radical shift in thinking on the precise role of the SLO in sub–Saharan Africa's mining landscape. For the SLO to function effectively, policymakers and mining executives should make conscientious efforts to factor the views of local communities into decisions regarding how it should be operationalised.