Open pit mines are being planned to increasingly great depths, often beyond the current experience and knowledge base, with the exception perhaps of some very steep and high natural rock slopes. Despite recent advances, there remains significant challenges in understanding the mechanisms of slope behaviour and failure, and methods of stability analysis for such slopes. In an attempt to bring together the state of the art capabilities in these fields, as well as new research and developments, the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) in collaboration with the South African National Institute of Rock Engineering (SANIRE) are organising a specialist international symposium on the Stability of Rock Slopes, to be held in Cape Town in October 2015. Cape Town is considered to be a very appropriate location for the symposium. There is a wide choice of hotels, within a few minutes walk of the symposium venue. In the area there are many steep natural rock slopes, and there are significant hard rock quarries within about an hourʼs drive. Technical site visits to various natural slopes and the quarries will be arranged.