MINING INDABA •
AFRICAN MAURITANIA MINING – A NEW OUTLOOK ERA OF 2024 : MINING TRANSFORMATION INDABA PREVIEW
Africa looks forward to new ‘ power-ful possibilities ’ with the return of the Investing in African The Mining
election Indaba
of to
President Cape Town
Mohamed , South Africa
Ould , from
El-Ghazouani 5 – 8 February
has 2024
seen .
Mauritania enter a new era conducive to sustainable foreign investment and focused on an ESG-based development In celebration of
model Mining
( Environment Indaba ’ s 30th anniversary
Social and ,
Governance its programmes
). have taken on a new direction and purpose with the aim of marking the milestone . The 2024 theme ,“ Embracing the power of positive disruption : A bold new future for African mining ” represents this objective , outlining the need for Africa ’ s mining industry to embrace change in order to become a meaningful global competitor as key minerals are required to drive a sustainable future .
The event is aiming to disrupt traditional thinking around processes and discourse to explore what the African mining industry truly needs to resolve challenges . Technology is a great lever in achieving a better future for all stakeholders , but so are innovative ideas and thoughts around changing conventional approaches to mining .
African Mining ’ s January Indaba Outlook 2024 issue is therefore brimming with thought leadership and insight into the journey ahead of the continent ’ s mining industry and its global role .
ARTISANAL MINING AND THE RESPONSIBLE SOURCING OF COBALT IN DRC
Contributed by SRK Consulting
The outlook for mining in Africa in 2024 will undoubtedly see continued integration of ESG priorities into operations – SRK Consulting discusses responsible sourcing in the DRC , with artisanal mining being core to considerations .
A
growing focus on responsible sourcing by cobaltusing industries is highlighting the pressure on mines in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) to address both environmental and social impacts – and artisanal mining is an important part of these considerations .
According to Wouter Jordaan , partner and principal environmental scientist at SRK Consulting , manufacturers of goods such as batteries and electric vehicles are among the stakeholders who want to ensure that their supply chains are ethical . It is estimated by news agency Reuters that the DRC is home to 150 000 to 200 000 artisanal miners – reliant on informal cobalt mining for their livelihoods .
“ Social aspects such as human rights violations have come to the fore as serious risks to formal cobalt producers , as customers want better traceability and integrity in their supply chains ,” said Jordaan . “ Many companies are now applying or incorporating standards and guidelines such as the due diligence guidelines from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ), to audit their supply chains .”
www . africanmining . co . za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • January 2024 • 25