African Mining April 2024 | Page 6

• AFRICAN BUZZ

BOLD , VISIONARY AFRICAN LEADERSHIP AND PPPs CRITICAL TO EXTRACT MAXIMUM MINERAL VALUE

By Minerals Council South Africa

The partnerships raised at Indaba included what could be done between African countries , leveraging their mineral endowments to extract regional benefits in rail , road and port developments , energy projects and water supplies . Talk was of comparative advantages between African countries rather than competitive advantages .

To attract investments in exploration , mine development , mining , processing , refining and manufacturing facilities to add full value to mineral endowments , there was acknowledgement of enabling regulations and policies to encourage participation in each of these areas .

All the discussions between African countries , with the private sector and internally on enabling legislation , must have the north star of what is in the best interests of the country and its people . It starts with leadership . The bold new vision for countries and the continent will only happen if leaders conduct themselves boldly in selfless acts for benefits of their nations and the world .

For South Africa and Africa to extract the maximum value for minerals the world demands in the transition to low-carbon economies , partnerships are the key to unlocking full benefits for our continent .

At the Investing in African Mining Indaba 2024 , the takeaway message was the need for partnerships and alignment between governments and the private sector in the global transition to sources of renewable energy and then the need for different mindsets about mining critical minerals in Africa to move away from the historic development of mineral architecture on the continent .

The historic model of Africa merely being a repository of minerals which were mined and exported to other countries in their raw form , could not be repeated .

The message from Africa is clear : society must benefit from its minerals , with the creation of sustainable jobs , industries , the development of logistics , energy , water and education , and health facilities . Improved living standards is a fundamental expectation of governments and communities .

At the Indaba , there appeared to be a lot of alignment between the private and public sectors , which was encouraging . While there is a broad understanding of what constitutes critical minerals , the rapid advancements in technologies and applications needs careful consideration for African countries to clearly define their understanding of what constitutes critical minerals and their expectations of the benefits to be derived from them . This clarity of vision and strategic purpose will place Africa firmly at the table as the supplier for those needing metals and minerals .

The high aspirations many countries have for their critical minerals will not organically manifest themselves without visionary leadership . Temptations to go-it-alone on critical minerals by erecting barriers to foreign investment or bans on raw exports could deliver detrimental outcomes . Partnerships that benefit the suppliers and those needing the critical minerals will avoid tensions and the potential for corruption and situations in which only a few are favoured .

At the Indaba , the African voice was bolder and the language clearer , leaving no doubt about the nature of conversations about their mineral deposits .

PROTECTION OF WATER RESOURCES KEY – PRIVATE SECTOR MUST CONSIDER PITCHING IN

Business must consider pitching in to ensure community water security , said Malcolm Curror , chief executive of United Manganese of Kalahari ( UMK ). The company said water preservation and equitable distribution is critical in the near , medium and long term .

In the mining industry , mining practices are changing as companies adopt environmental , social and governance ( ESG ) standards and conversations around sustainable mining . At the International Council on Mining and Metals , which has a membership including major mining companies and 35 national and commodity associations , work is underway to consolidate reporting standards to enhance best practices in mining .

At the Indaba , the African voice was bolder and the language clearer , leaving no doubt about the nature of conversations about their mineral deposits . The expectation is that there will be a huge step forward away from the historic nature of mining and flow of commodities where the benefits were largely transferred off the continent .

“ A water crisis would be exponentially more damaging to the country than load-shedding .”

Supplied by iStock care of UMK

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