African buzz
Book review
A short history of modern Angola
By David Birmingham
Publishers: Jonathan Ball Publishers
Under the new president of Angola, João Lourenço, the new regime
is changing the face of Angola’s economy. At a time when the
government is ringing the changes to transform the economy, it
is opportune to read a bit more about the rich history of Angola.
A Short History of Modern Angola by celebrated Africanist David
Birmingham, published by Jonathan Ball Publishers, is a good place
to start. Birmingham draws on decades of extensive scholarly research
and the accidental adventures that make up his life as a historian to
offer this comprehensive account of Angola’s modern history.
Beginning in 1820, he details the Portuguese attempt to create a third
African empire in Angola after the virtual loss of Asia and America.
He charts the great flows of migrant people to and from the country
that underpinned these colonial efforts and the burgeoning slave trade
that went hand in hand with it. The book is a journey through the 20th
century in Angola — the playing out of its politics, trade, and labour
practices against the backdrop of white settlement, and the eventual fall
of the Portuguese colonialism and Angola’s struggle for national identity.
It concludes with an examination of the civil war that ravaged the
country in the 1970s and 1980s, which ended in 2002, but from whose
legacy the Angolan people are still trying to rebuild today.
Beyond A Short History of Modern Angola’s concise yet comprehensive
historical narrative, Birmingham illustrates the fascinating link between
the British Cadbury chocolate company and Angola, as well as the
origins of the term ‘lusophone’. b
Australia offers graphite alternative
The global graphite chain is seeking alternatives for lower risk but
longer life supply sources for the key battery minerals commodity,
and Australia can offer a niche solution. This is according to an
Adelaide-based developer of the world’s fifth-largest-reported
graphite reserve. Addressing the first day of the Paydirt 2019
Battery Minerals Conference in Perth recently, Renascor
Resources’ managing director, David Christensen, said that while
the Chinese had historically dominated supply and production,
the dynamic had now changed, and China was even becoming an
importer of graphite.
“Everyone has known for five years that China will reach a tipping
point — and we are at that point,” Christensen said.
“But this has forced users to look worldwide for projects of
substantial scale that have the grade but can deliver the two
modern-era requirements of long-term potential and low
sovereign risk.
“Our Siviour project in South Australia — the largest graphite
ore body in Australia — offers that potential by a wide margin
10 AFRICAN MINING MAY - JUNE 2019
compared with other Australian offerings, and within a mining
jurisdiction that is well regulated and understood.
“Siviour can easily join this global graphite supply chain because we can be
competitive on cost against China and some of the key African sources.”
Rencascor is close to securing mining approvals for Siviour near
Arno Bay on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
Its initial 30-year mine life has a Stage 1 start-up cost of
USD29-million from next year at a rate of 22 000 tonnes of
graphite concentrate per annum, then moves to a Stage 2 expansion
at an additional USD91-million cost, but significantly expanding
output to 156 000 tonnes per annum (tpa) concentrate.
Feasibility studies have indicated Siviour can generate mine
concentrate at USD335 per tonne at full development — one of
the lowest operating costs of any graphite producer in the world.
A definitive feasibility study is well advanced and a decision to
mine is expected later this year. b
www.africanmining.co.za