The 2023 African Mining Indaba launched this week in Cape Town, drawing mining sector heavyweights from across the country and the globe.
Promoting international collaboration and showcasing Africa’s continued potential in the mining sector, the theme for this year’s event is “Unlocking African Mining Investment: Stability, Security and Supply”.
Mining Indaba senior manager for communication strategy, Laura Cornish said that “when industry and government are actually able to come together and explore collaborative opportunities, it fosters an alignment of ideas and that decreases or actually lessens the barriers to alignment.”
Connecting influential thought-leaders from across the globe, the Mining Indaba has welcomed high profile guests including Felix Thisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chief Executive of Anglo American, Duncan Wanblad, and H.E. Eng. Khalid Bin Saleh Al-Mudaifer, Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs.
While South Africa remains an industry leader in the mining sector, the future of the industry will be determined by the sustainability of existing and new partnerships between stakeholders, investors, government, and corporations.
Speaking on South Africa’s role in the Mining Indaba, Brand South Africa’s Acting General Manager for Research, Shamiso Hlatshwayo said “As a custodian of the South African Nation Brand it is particularly important for us to plant the seed in investors’ minds about what South Africa has to offer in relation to mining.”
Hlatshwayo continued, asserting that it is important to showcase South Africa by highlighting its competitiveness and unique value proposition as an attractive investment opportunity.
With many investors looking towards new sustainable energy sources, Hlatshwayo asserted that South Africa “strategically placed to be one of the regional leaders in creating a green energy future.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the Mining Indaba on Tuesday asserting how the industry contributes towards the growth of the continent. With around half a million South Africans employed in the mining sector, the industry continues to be one of the primary driving forces behind the country’s economy; and ensuring the sustainability and future stability of the mining industry is paramount to South Africa’s economic prosperity.
President Ramaphosa stated that while mining production in South Africa last year reached a record high of R1.18 trillion, “we are far from realising the full potential of our mining industry.”
It is evident that Africa is not resorting to complacency when it comes to the continent’s mineral riches, but are determined to ensure the future stability of the industry through international collaboration and responsible mining.
The African Mining Indaba continues to be a powerful platform in its ability to connect industry leaders and propose sustainable solutions that will not only protect the mining sector’s present economic significance, but also secure a stable industry that can feasibly prosper into the foreseeable future.