More than 13 million people in the South are directly engaged in small-scale mining - many of whom are women and children - with another 80 to 100 million depend on it for some aspect of their livelihood. These activities are often both illegal and environmentally damaging, and dangerous for workers and their communities. The illegality and lack of regulation often mean that improving the sector is difficult and many of the potential benefits are lost. This paper is an overview of the issues and challenges facing artisanal and small-scale mining stakeholders.