COMMENT • sharyn @ interactmedia . co . za

Sharyn Macnamara - Stafff writer •

I look forward to engaging and conversing with you all in order to deliver articles that talk to the ebb and flow of the many trends , opportunities and challenges , and the risks , solutions , and successes this dynamic industry experiences , with a view to disseminate information that is continually useful and enlightening .

With regards the outlook for 2022 , Fitch Solutions believes there will be six major themes influencing the way industries operate , namely , “ Post-Covid industry normalisation , supply chain adjustments , elevated input prices , US-China industry tensions , digital transformation , and Environmental , Social and Corporate Governance ( ESG ).”

We at African Mining look to 2022 with eager anticipation as we hope for less of the stop-start Covid-19 disruptions , and more from the African Mining Industry , which remains the cornerstone of most economies on the African continent and has been the saving grace in light of the pandemic in many respects for the past two years . The African Mining Industry is most certainly a force to be reckoned with !

On the investment side , the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) takes the spotlight in February in our Country in Focus feature , our In the Stope feature article , and our Projects and Exploration regular feature . Amazing strides have been made in regulating the previously unmanaged artisanal mining sector in the DRC . We also speak to Dominique Sambwa , chairman of SRK Consulting , Congo , who is excited about the future of mining in this everevolving country , touching on the movement to codification and environmentally cognisant issues . The shaking up of copper mining with extraordinarily successful , on-target and sustainable projects like Kamoa Copper , make the DRC a favoured investment opportunity .

On the home front , ESG once again takes centre stage with our feature article ‘ Taking water management to the next level ’. This project has proved that local South African experts can collaborate to create world-first solutions with a view to protecting the surrounding environment and communities dependent on it .

With the easing of pandemic restrictions , African Mining speaks with the organisers of 2022 Investing in African Mining Indaba to be held from 9-12 May , where the Hyve team offers insight into what can be expected at the world ’ s largest mining investment event after two years of the global pandemic . The Africa Energy Indaba , 1 - 3 March 2022 , Virtual Conference & Physical Exhibition , is also an event readers can look out for in our Energy Section .

MEMSA ’ s mission to serve the mining manufacturing community in South Africa and abroad is the theme of an in-depth interview with new MEMSA CEO , Lehlohonolo Molloyi . We look to more local manufacturing stories in the future , with specific interest in automation .

Two noticeably big steps forward on the home front have taken place . The first being the announcement by Public Enterprises Minister , Pravin Gordhan , in December 2021 on expediting access to the Eskom grid for owners of renewable energy projects , opening the power utility ’ s land for these schemes , and boosting capacity on transmission lines from the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape . The second has been the submission of one of three expected reports by Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture , Raymond Zondo to President Cyril Ramaphosa in January , for which the Mineral Council South Africa has voiced its support .

These positive trends bode well for a year to look forward to with lots to put on the table for debate . The African Mining Industry has shown itself to be a force to be reconned with over the past two years , but with this comes responsibility to the environment and the communities it serves . 2022 is most certainly a year of great expectations from this formidable industry ! •

Sharyn Macnamara , African Mining staff writer