AFRICAN BUZZ • and learnings that can spark change and ultimately , drive investment ,” says Simon Ford , portfolio director for Investing in African Mining Indaba .
‘ Unlocking African mining investment : stability , security , and supply ’ Ford adds that while ESG as an investment imperative and the social licence to operate continue to underpin the values of Mining Indaba , “ We are entering a new chapter in both pan-African and global economies .
“ Therefore , the theme for 2023 ’ s Mining Indaba is ‘ Unlocking African Mining Investment : Stability , Security , and Supply ’. This captures the very real geopolitical shifts and economic disruptions we are experiencing , and which are providing pressure points – and opportunities – within African mining as global economies seek security of supply , especially for their own energy transitions , as well as the raw materials and precious metals to bolster their economic power .”
Programme and new initiatives This year ’ s programme will delve into integral economic empowerment strategies , ways to support supply chain security for the energy transition and seizing opportunities to capitalise on the commodities super cycle .
A number of new initiatives and programmes will also be debuted this year . These include the Explorers Showcase , the Junior MINE and the Official Government Leaders Programme .
“ One particular programme we are excited about for 2023 is the Explorers Showcase , where we want to showcase early-stage explorers through presentations and core samples to help stimulate those much-needed conversations with investors . In this way we can help drive investment into every stage of the mining production cycle through explorers , to juniors and on to mid tiers and major mining companies ,” says Tom Quinn , head of Content at the Investing in Mining Indaba .
“ The initiative is supported by South Africa ’ s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy and AfriMine . To compliment this , we will run the Junior ESG Forum , as well our ESG Awards . We are also delighted to launch our new InfraTech @ Indaba content programme which combines our previous Mining 2050 and Infrastructure & Supply Chain streams into one platform , which will showcase leading suppliers and experts involved with the convergence of technology , infrastructure and critical supply chains in the mining sector .”
Delegates will also benefit from mainstay content streams during Indaba week including the Ministerial Symposium , Intergovernmental Summit , Green Metals Day , Sustainable Development Day , the Young Leaders Forum and the General Counsel Forum . Also making a return is the Innovation & Research Battlefield , which is a unique platform for academic institutions and start-ups to showcase their latest ideas .
“ We are seeing a lot of early commitment and have no doubt this will be a sell-out event once again . With commodity prices remaining strong and demand for critical minerals , battery metals and rare earths really accelerating , we can expect this to translate to another bumper turnout and we are really excited to be back to our regular dateline in February ,” says Ford . •
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African Mining • January 2023 • 7 |