• AFRICAN BUZZ
INVESTING IN AFRICAN MINING INDABA
Sharyn Macnamara ( SM ), spoke with the Hyve Team , the organisers of the ‘ 2022 Investing in African Mining Indaba ’ to be held 9-12 May in Cape Town this year , to hone in on some of the highlights the industry can look forward to .
After a virtual event in 2021 , the May 2022 Mining Indaba promises to be the must-attend event for every executive in African mining . In addition to gathering the largest number of investors , mining executives and ministers for four days ’ worth of investment discussions and deal-making , there are also a number of new and enhanced initiatives planned , including a record 1 in 3 women speakers due to address attendees this year .
SM : The market waits in anticipation for this spectacular event each year , what do you see as being ultra-unique about the event in May 2022 ? The Hyve Team : It ’ s incredibly exciting to be able to gather , once again , in Cape Town for the world ’ s largest mining investment event after two years of the global pandemic . There really is nothing quite as unique and comprehensive for the mining community in Africa , and with our recently announced acquisition of 121 Group , we are in an even stronger position to serve our thousands of delegates with bespoke meetings and programmes as part of their Mining Indaba experience .
A couple of new elements we are adding to May ’ s Indaba are particularly exciting . For the first time we will stage a dedicated Infrastructure & Supply Chain Forum bringing together the vital mining supply chain companies with senior mining executives to discuss ESG-focused solutions to Africa ’ s expansive mining operations . We will also be platforming our first-ever Innovation Battlefield – with our partners at the Development Partner Institute – where academic institutions and start-ups can showcase their latest ideas to make mining more sustainable and decarbonised .
We are in a unique position to offer more than ever to delegates from across the mining value chain along with our mainstay content streams during Indaba week , including Main Stage , Ministerial Symposium , Intergovernmental Summit , Junior Mining Forum , Green Metals Day , Mining 2050 , Sustainability Day , Young Leaders Forum , and the General Counsel Forum . No global forum , and certainly not on the African continent , can offer this breadth and depth of thought-leadership and networking opportunities .
SM : Your theme , ‘ Evolution of African Mining : Investing in the Energy Transition , ESG and Economies ’ tells us where you are going with discussions in May . Are you able to share an agenda and the names of some of your key speakers with our readers at this stage ? The Hyve Team : The new , updated agendas will be online imminently , highlighting all the content mentioned previously . You can expect the C-suite speakers that Mining Indaba always delivers , including Mark Bristow at Barrick Gold ; Rio Tinto ’ s new executive for Africa in her role as Chief Executive , Minerals , Sinead Kaufman ; CEO-Designate at Exxaro , Dr Nombasa Tsengwa ; Minerals Council SA CEO , Roger Baxter , and the new CEO at ICMM , Rohitesh Dhawan , as well as many other top executives deeply involved in Africa ’ s mining industry . This will also be the final Mining Indaba for the iconic Mark Cutifani as Chief Executive , Anglo American Group , and we hope to give a warm welcome to his successor in the role , Duncan Wanblad , a proud South African .
The energy transition , ESG , and Africa ’ s myriad economies are front and centre of Mining Indaba ’ s content programmes for May 2022 , particularly in light of the recent COP26 meeting in Glasgow , UK . The challenges of decarbonisation , Scope 3 emissions , the huge opportunity for a hydrogen economy , progress on ESG-based investing , the responsible mining of gold , platinum and battery metals , the opportunities for governments and private sector collaboration to boost post-pandemic economies , and the latest technologies helping to deliver the energy transition will all be discussed in Cape Town at MI 2022 .
SM : What African economies do you anticipate taking centre stage this year ? The Hyve Team : As the host country and an African mining powerhouse , South Africa will again play a big role in Mining Indaba , focusing on the just transition , the future of coal and the formidable opportunity of hydrogen development . Zambia has a very exciting story to tell , as does Tanzania with the inauguration of President Hassan .
The DRC has a fast-developing and vital role to play in battery metals with its huge cobalt and copper projects in development . Botswana is making significant headway in mining investment and transparency , and Nigeria has a mandate to significantly increase mining ’ s contribution to up to 10 % of the country ’ s GDP . Ghana , Namibia , Zimbabwe , Sierra Leone , and Mozambique all have compelling stories and engaging updates to give . We have entered a critical period for the global mining industry , particularly in Africa , as the world pursues decarbonisation and energy transition . Mining underpins all this , unequivocally . Therefore , Mining Indaba will showcase the continent ’ s vital role in providing solutions for the future of the planet as outlined at COP26 .
Added to this , Mining Indaba is the premium gathering place for Africa ’ s mining ministers , so we will once again be able to platform in-person , many esteemed ministerial delegations from a broad range of African countries . We have been working consistently with South Africa ’ s DMRE in order to return , safely and securely , to Cape Town given the restrictions of the global pandemic .
For more information , go to the official 2022 Investing in African Mining Indaba website https :// miningindaba . com
4 • African Mining • February 2022 www . africanmining . co . za