Mining Indaba 2024: Disrupting traditional means of engagement and conversations

Investing in African Mining Indaba (Mining Indaba) will drive collaboration between key industry stakeholders like never before in 2024. Report by YESHIEL PANCHIA.

This drive is multi-faceted and looks to encourage open and transparent dialogues between government and mining CEOs, juniors and investors, and global end users and new mines.

“Collaboration in the industry has never been as important as it is today. Collectively, we need investment-friendly legislation, we need new cash flowing into projects and we need off-takers in the critical minerals space to embrace Africa and help the continent play a meaningful role in the Just Energy Transition,” explains Laura Cornish, Head of Content: Mining Indaba.

“This requires a level of engagement transparency never before seen at Mining Indaba,” Cornish continues. It is this drive that has contributed towards shaping the theme for 2024: “Embracing the power of positive disruption: A bold new future for African mining.”

“Our programmes are a catalyst for the engagement we strive to facilitate, making our content focus and strategy a vital component of our overall goals. Traditionally, Mining Indaba’s programmes have focused on corporate message delivery and touched lightly on issues of relevance – 2024 will see this approach transform,” Cornish continues.

“Positive disruption content will delve deep into Africa’s challenges and will have panellists explore them transparently, and meaningfully, so clearer resolutions can drive Africa’s mining industry – this will filter through all of our programmes which include a new Junior Miners’ Day, a new Investment-focused day, an extended Intergovernmental Summit, an extended Sustainability programme and a refocused technology programme,” highlights Cornish.

The programme for the event includes several introspective sessions for the mining industry and mining adjacent stakeholders. Examples of these sessions include:

• Why are African exploration pipelines so empty?
• How do mineral export bans affect investment opportunities?
• Who is, and will be, the most secure supplier of critical minerals? China? The West? Saudi Arabia? Or Africa?
• Who is picking up the tab for logistics? Government or the industry itself?
• How can Africa play a more meaningful role for EV OEMs?
• Are African miners doing enough when it comes to shared data and interoperability?
• Is Africa’s Mining Vision transitioning from aspiration to reality on a global scale?

“It is public knowledge that Africa’s critical minerals resources are extensive but largely untapped, and this holds substantial opportunity to fast track the development of Africa and by association its economies and communities,” continues Cornish.

“Critical minerals at large are driving the greatest level of interest and investment within the mining industry at present and will be an underlying feature across most of the discussions we facilitate.” Understanding and mapping out the potential that Africa must leverage in the global market will be explored.

“With sustainability becoming a priority for the mining industry the true pillars need to be explored from several aspects including evolving requirements and ESG ratings. Our Sustainability Series programme will unpack important topics in relation to this – from artisanal mining to community development, the just energy transition, circularity, net zero mines, the future of coal and most mining economies,” concludes Cornish.