JUNIOR MINING IN THE SPOTLIGHT

According to the Minerals Council South Africa, the local junior mining sector currently employs between 33 500 and 40 300 people directly, and probably as many again through fixed-term contracts, making it critical to the success of the overall industry.

A er all, this sector comprises explorers, developers and smaller producers; and exploration, for example, is essential to the long-term survival of mining locally, as finding new deposits is necessary to keep the mining economy afloat.

The Junior Mining Indaba, hosted in Johannesburg, proved a major success. Juniors were told that while the economy may be tough, the long-term focus on clean energy minerals would ultimately benefit them. A er all, as global demand for renewable energy solutions rises, the metals that go into such o erings rise in importance. There is little doubt that this will open opportunities for juniors in SA to exploit.

Two major announcements were also made at the Indaba. The first was that one of the industry’s most well-known faces and voices, Roger Baxter – CEO of the Minerals Council SA – would be leaving the council a er 30 years with the organisation. Before he goes, SA Mining has asked him to outline both the challenges and positives of his time in charge.

The second announcement was that of the launch of a Junior Mining Council (JMC), which will give a greater voice and increased support to this sector of the industry. The JMC’s new CEO, Fred Arendse, outlines for us the new organisation’s goals, plans and strategy. https://youtu.be/2U0RMa_6bko

August, of course, is Women’s Month, and – as the gender demographics of the mining industry slowly change – we asked some senior women in the sector to o er advice to young women about how best to be successful in this space, and how they can build their careers in the long term. Sustainability is currently a watchword in the mining business, but is not a word that seems compatible with the development and use of explosives – a vital and necessary part of the industry. We speak to several of the main explosives manufacturers in the country to learn exactly how they are working to make this area more sustainable, both in terms of the environment and in terms of its e ect on the surrounding communities, and also safer for mine employees.

Finally, in our cover story, we chat to Invincible Valves to find out how diversification and innovation are paramount in this sector, if an organisation is to remain ahead of the industry curve.

To this end, the company has recently moved towards achieving this level of independence by acquiring a machine shop and an additional facility located in Knights, Germiston. This has enabled the business to streamline its operations and make its entire process more e icient.

Gary Alfonso speaks to CEO of Enaex Africa, Francisco Baudrand, about the company’s plans to embrace Artificial Intelligence, while also looking into incorporating sustainability within the organisation’s strategic objective.

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