The Mining Indaba returns – with a vengeance

THE MINING INDABA RETURNS

with a vengeance

After 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 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 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

The Mining Indaba “ will explore the role technology has to play in the Just

Transition for coalbased economies.“

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.

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

This year’s Indaba anticipates the attendance of over “ 6 500 mining experts, with special guests including

“Botswana’s President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema.

KEY PRESENTATIONS AT MINING INDABA:

Presidential addresses ■ Hakainde Hichilema, president of the Republic of Zambia and Dr

Mokgweetsi Masisi, president of

Botswana Opening CEO keynote ■ Duncan Wanblad, chief executive, Anglo American Group Global keynote ■ Copper, Cobalt, Nickel, Tin, Rare

Earths – Battery Metals & The

Energy Transition ■ Metals Focus: Platinum Group

Metals & the Hydrogen Economy

Opportunity Special focus panel ■ Post COP26: mining industry response & the financing and economic drivers of global decarbonisation Artisanal mining focus ■ What is industry and government doing to protect and legitimise the millions of artisanal miners who contribute to the metals and minerals economies across Africa? ■ Panel: Mining Sustainability &

Circular Economy Focus ■ The Just Transition & The Future of

Coal in Africa

environment progressed in reality. It will also look at how the pandemic has shaped the investment environment for metals and minerals, what criteria investors focus on when choosing a mining operator, what disruptors are at play, and whether millennial investors are buying into mining’s sustainable credentials.

A panel debate will also take place around the subject of The Accelerated Energy Transition – Is this Africa’s moment?, and will consider what’s next for Africa’s mining sector in the context of battery metals and PGMs. It will also look at how the sector heavyweights will shape it in years to come, and ultimately, what it means for investors, other mining companies and government.

SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS

Sustainability remains a core focus of the industry. A special focus panel will look at the mining industry’s response to COP26, and the financing and economic drivers of global decarbonisation. It will determine how this will impact on the mining sector, commodity prices and the appetite for the critical minerals needed to fuel the green revolution.

There will further be a panel on Mining Sustainability and the Circular Economy Focus. It will take into account recycling in mining and how mining and supply chain industries can work together to tackle waste and sector supply crunches through an ESG framework, and how metals and materials recycling can help ease the supply gaps for the sector.

Another sustainability-focused presentation will consider The Just Transition and The Future of Coal in Africa, examining Southern African governments’ policies on coal production and their current view of the Just Transition in an economic context.

Naturally, being the African Mining Indaba, there will be a continental focus that tries to understand the Resource Nationalism challenge: How has the global pandemic shaped sovereign state views on resource nationalism and collaboration? This will explore examples of success and why these have worked and how they can be replicated, while also looking into the myriad economic lessons the global pandemic has taught the continent.

Technology is becoming increasingly critical in a digital world. A panel will consider the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and how African mining can position itself for technology growth, given its youthful population. It will also explore the role technology has to play in the Just Transition for coal-based economies like South Africa, and how government and industry should work together to ensure Africa’s mining sector doesn’t fall behind in attracting next-generation technology talent.

Finally, another area that requires focus, particularly given its prevalence across the continent, is that of artisanal mining. It’s important to understand what both industry and government are doing to protect and legitimise the millions of artisanal miners who contribute to the metals and minerals economies across Africa.

A er two years of COVID-19 disruption, the SA Mining Indaba is back with a vengeance, so anyone connected to the mining sector should attend, for its high-impact networking and the opportunities and conversations around every aspect of the industry. Cape Town is the place to be in May. ■