(From AllAfrica.com) Johannesburg - THE growth of SA's mining sector could be hampered further by a serious lack of professional skills, according to a survey by executive recruitment firm Landelahni Business Leaders, released yesterday.

The shortage of skills in the sector coincided with an upturn in the global economy and a recovery in world commodity prices, which meant that the South African mining sector could miss out on the full benefits of the recovery.

The local mining industry is already battling higher production costs, and the strong rand during much of last year has seen most miners unable to optimise margins despite higher metals prices.

Landelahni CEO Sandra Burmeister said what was even more worrying was that the local industry had lost much of its skills development capability.

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