LEX Africa was well represented at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town with representatives from Mali, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The focus of the conference included the role of indigenous peoples and local communities in African mining and representatives of these groups participated in key sessions. Mamadou Coulibaly of LEX Africa’s member in Mali, Satis Partners, spoke on a panel relating to challenges in the Sahel region including recent developments in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the question of economic sovereignty and appropriate strategies for mining companies.
Other panels dealt with –
- Technology trends across various industries;
- The formalisation and professionalisation of artisanal and small scale mining;
- Lessons to be learnt from the Brazilian Public Private Partnership infrastructure model;
- Value addition and industrial transformation
- The benefits of simplifying global mining standards;
- Women pioneering and the future of mining;
- Intra-African financing options to fill the gap in foreign financing of mining projects;
- Africa’s strategic position as a source of key minerals for the USA, China, Europe and others; and
- New approaches for mobilising responsible finance for mining.
LEX Africa’s updated mining guide (which covers 21 African mining jurisdictions) was launched at the Indaba and LEX Africa is preparing a podcast series which will cover recent mining trends and developments in South Africa, Mali, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Says LEX Africa Chairperson, Pieter Steyn, “The African mining sector remains a key opportunity and focus for African development. Demand for African minerals is increasing worldwide and the key challenge for African governments remains how to both attract investment and ensure that the mining sector contributes to socio-economic upliftment and development including by stimulating local supply chains and infrastructural developments.”
