Building on the success of the 2019 Mining Indaba, industry experts from across the value chain will, this year, tackle topics including the industry’s role in addressing climate change and decarbonisation, and sustainability measures for investment. The main stage is set to once again host CEOs, ministers and maybe even a president or two.
Tom Quinn, Head of Content at Investing in African Mining Indaba has provided an overview of what attendees can expect from the 2020 programme and gives an impression of the brand-new theme “Optimising Growth and Investment in the Digitised Mining Economy”.
“Digitisation has gone from concept to reality and is now a way of life in a global context. From the perspective of business, we are increasingly engaging with digitised, automated and even AI (Artificial Intelligence) systems – whether it be through operations, supply chains or the financial ecosystem that underpins the way in which we do business. The whole concept of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is now becoming more mainstream and we can see this in our industry from automated mines, blockchain incubators securing the transparency of mined materials, safety technologies to reduce accidents, and our ongoing interaction with data in which to grow mining in a more efficient and sustainable way,” he said.
Quinn was also quick to warn of the challenges that the new dispensation comes with. He said last year’s Mining Indaba focused on sustainability, which is now in the DNA of most mining operations globally. Similarly, digitisation is not just a technology issue: it also has challenges and opportunities throughout the natural resources value chain and that is why it’s such an important focus in this edition.
The Mining Indaba, according to organisors, is set to offer a range of content formats and topics, which will resonate with multiple stakeholders along the mining and natural resources value chain.
They said the issue of digitisation and harnessing new technologies will be included in many sessions from the Main Plenary stage, the Sustainable Development day, and Junior Mining Showcase – to Young Leaders programme and the extended Mining 2050 platform.
They also said each of the sessions will explore and platform issues in connection with mining’s 4IR, including The Brand of Mining, Mining and the Dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Winning Back the Millennial Generation.
Researchers have predicted that harnessing the value of digitalisation can generate a potential economic impact; Quinn explains what African governments need to do to support the cause.
“The whole digital ecosystem in the context of Africa presents an incredible generational opportunity. Moving into the digital economy has the potential to accelerate solutions to combat poverty, unemployment and inequality, and at Mining Indaba we want to be part of the initiatives, which have these goals in mind. The African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 is a blueprint to support the continent’s accelerated growth and tech transformation and to drive the benefits of a digitised economy. So, this unprecedented policy and government support, as well as local economy encouragement, will help turn this into a reality in Africa’s mining communities,” he said.
The AU agenda is aligned to South Africa’s own National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 vision of transforming the country into an inclusive and innovative digital society.
With Mining Indaba’s ability to attract over 35 Pan-African government ministers and its global status as the world’s largest mining investment platform, organisers believe this is a unique position to help highlight synergies between government policy and investment, and industry innovation to push Africa’s mining industry to the forefront of digital and economic growth.
The launch of the General Counsel Forum dedicated to tackling legal issues unique to those working in the mining sector provides a platform for law firms and in-house legal teams to connect and widen their industry.
As Pan-African regional legal systems can be complex, Mining Indaba brings together Africa’s finest legal minds to debate and share knowledge on Africa’s resources sector, focusing on how companies can navigate the opportunities and challenges in the sector by strengthening portfolio management, examining falling productivity against increasing costs and M&A market updates.
“Once again, Mining Indaba will provide delegates with unmatched content, as well as access to the entire mining industry value chain and influential players in the market, from the world’s biggest industry giants to tomorrow’s barrier-breaking disruptors.
Attracting more junior, mid-tier and major mining companies, more investors and as always, the largest gathering of mining ministers in Africa, we’ve got no plans to slow down, bringing you an even bigger Mining Indaba in 2020. This, coupled with the enhanced sophisticated business matchmaking and expanded IR team, means meeting your next business partner just got easier,” he concluded.
About the event
The world’s largest mining investment event, Mining Indaba, is taking place on 3-6 February 2020 at the CTICC in Cape Town, South Africa.