Coal mining is the largest single mining activity with uranium and granite lower on the scale.
Coal mine production supplies the many power stations located across the highveld region which, in turn supply a high percentage of the electrical power to the rest of South Africa. Huge volumes of coal are also exported from Mpumalanga through the bulk port terminus at Richard s Bay on the Kwa Zulu - Natal north coast. The coal mining operations employ conventional underground methods and also open cast strip methods where the relatively thin layer of quality coal is found near the surface. The latter method requires the removal of soil to expose the coal seam, which is then mined using huge dragline cranes. When the adventures cultural tourism hiking angling agricultural tourism forestry mining industrial tourism coal seam has been exhausted, the topsoil is replaced over the mine and the area reverts to agricultural use.