ENERGY
THE MINING INDABA
RETURNS with a vengeance
Transition. The South African Mining Indaba once again opens its doors, from 9 to 12 May. This year’s overarching theme is Evolution of African Mining: Investing in the Energy Transition, ESG, and the Economies, with the goal of inspiring new approaches, sparking conversations and encouraging partnerships that will transform mining on the continent. For more than a quarter of a century, the Mining Indaba has offered a unique perspective of the African mining industry, bringing together visionaries and innovators across the entire value chain. The recent acquisition of 121 Group adds further diversity and significant value for the Mining Indaba community. The partnership of these prominent platforms will create an experience like no other, attracting more junior, mid-tier and major mining companies, investors, and as always the largest gathering of Pan-African ministers. This year’s Indaba anticipates the attendance of over 6 500 mining experts, with special guests including Botswana’s President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, who will share his insights on the diversification of the mining industry and his push for greater innovation in the sector. He’ll also speak about his ambition to develop a vibrant and diversified mineral
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SA MINING
MARCH / APRIL 2022
sector that contributes to the sustainable development of the Botswana economy in an inclusive manner that allows for the participation of local indigenous business. Also there will be Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema, who is expected to share his vision of a new dawn for Zambia, in which macroeconomic stability is restored and sustainable, inclusive economic growth is promoted. His government is looking to significantly
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The Mining Indaba will explore the role technology has to play in the Just Transition for coalbased economies.
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fter two years of significant COVID-19 disruption, 2022 sees the return of the Mining Indaba to Cape Town, with a key focus on sustainability and the Just Energy
increase the production of copper and other minerals so that Zambia can reclaim its place as a leading miner on the continent. To support these ambitions he has already introduced a friendlier mining tax regime and made clear his intention to bring stability to the sector, as well as ensuring regulatory fairness and the elimination of obstacles that stand in the way of new investment.
www.samining.co.za
KEY TOPICS
The opening CEO keynote address this year will be by Anglo American Group chief executive Duncan Wanblad, who will discuss the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) impacts. These include decarbonisation of the supply chain, Scope 3 emissions, mining’s role in global electrification, mining materials as the cornerstone of net-zero emissions and the huge potential for South Africa in the hydrogen economy. Global keynote talks featuring Orion Minerals, Rio Tinto and the World Bank will also take place, focusing on the topic of copper, cobalt, nickel, tin and rare earths – battery metals and the energy transition, and will examine African governments’ policies on critical minerals and their current view of the mining sector. This will encompass issues such as how the mining sector sees green metals policy developing and the role of cobalt end-users in supply chain transparency. Among other topics this year is a focus on metals, looking at platinum group metals and the hydrogen economy opportunity, with the goal of understanding the longterm structural change in energy systems that is needed, and the hydrogen solutions being developed to accelerate this energy transition. The Investor Panel will consider ESG Investing – Emerging from the Pandemic into a Better World?, and will ask whether mining’s ESG-focused investment
