AN EVENTFUL YEAR WITH TWO INVEST IN AFRICA MINING INDABA EVENTS HOSTED

The Investing in African Mining Indaba is a traditionally annual event held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Cape Town. During the 2022-2023 financial year however, two events were hosted as there was no opportunity to host the event due to the covid-19 restrictions imposed around the world between 2020 and 2022.

The Mining Indaba is a Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) event hosted together with the state-owned entities (SOEs) that include entities such as Mintek, the Council for Geosciences, the Mine Health and Safety Council, Mandela Precinct, CSIR, State Diamond Trader as well as the MQA. A DMRE South Africa Pavilion is established as a base for engagement and to highlight various services offered to support the mining and mineral sector under one roof.

The 8-11 May 2022 Mining Indaba was a much anticipated event, with stakeholders being upbeat and ready to share information and engage.

The May event was followed by the 6-9 February 2023 indaba attended by enthusiastic stakeholders who were ready to share in the programme that was planned. Entry was not restricted, and more delegates could attend.

Both events had record attendance of at least 6000 delegates, whose common goal was to engage on various topics that affect the mining and minerals sector. The delegates included Presidents, Ministers, government representatives from South Africa, International and African countries; speakers; thought leaders; Chief Executive Officers from around the world and the African diaspora; potential mining sector investors; mining sector industry subject matter experts; women empowerment groups; various youth groups and learners that have chosen careers in mining from various higher education institutions.

The MQA CEO Mr Thabo Mashongoane and a delegation from the MQA represented the MQA, speaking at various platforms, engaging with stakeholders on partnerships and conducting interviews with the various media houses present with the sole aim of positioning the MQA positively in the minds of the stakeholders present.

The planning for these events takes place a few months before the event and involves participating as part of a task team established by DMRE to ensure the positioning of the South African mining industry. Live and virtual models were encouraged by the various SOEs focusing on being paperless using QR coding to view materials or virtual and augmented reality, where the MQA partnered with Murray and Roberts to demonstrate how training and assessments underground can be successfully implemented using technological advancements.

Both events were opened by the Honourable Minister of the DMRE, Mr Gwede Mantashe, who also conducted a walkabout and visited the SA Pavilion, where the MQA exhibition stand was stationed with other DMRE state-owned entities. The CEO of the MQA engaged with the Minister ensuring that the MQA was visible and accessible to stakeholders in attendance. His Excellency, the President of the Republic of South Africa, also spoke at the events and engaged with many foreign dignitaries.

Key discussions that were raised by delegates at the MQA exhibition stand included but were not limited to:

• The requirement for access to information on accreditation processes;

• The need for financial support for postgraduation studies;

• Information about the internship programme placement process;

• How the placement of learners into the workspace takes place;

• The African diaspora displayed interest in having the MQA skills development model shared with the Southern African Development Communities (SADC);

• Queries on the delays in the MQA awarding of certificates was raised;

• Interests in potential skills development partnerships between countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and African countries were brought to the fore; and

• There was general interest in the skills development role of the MQA in South Africa.

Following the MQA CEO’s discussion topic, where he was part of a panel titled

He highlighted how accreditation in the sector needed to be refocused, and the policy changes the MQA had to make to continue to upskill the current workforce, making available the necessary funding so that skills development continues. As a result, special funding windows were opened so that companies could retrain their staff and focus on occupational, health and safety development. Within the MQA, various strategies were looked into so that staff change their mindset and focus on how the MQA can continue to provide services for the benefit of the sector. Programmes such as the ex-miner programmes were encouraged.

The MQA CEO discussions as a panellist generated increased media interest from media houses, including radio, live broadcasts, and print. Interviews took place with News Africa and eNCA in May 2022, and the SABC live at the 2023 event. The MQA social media platforms were abuzz, with many posts uploaded on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

The potential for partnerships was established at the event, resulting in the MQA hosting the Malawian and German delegations post the event. The German delegation was accompanied by some industry players to engage on best practice, to identify possible funding opportunities going forward, and to explore how they can work with the MQA.

Some of the key topic areas of discussion at the conferences included:

• The fourth industrial revolution.

• Issues of energy generation and its impact on the mining sector.

• The move to copper, nickel, cobalt and rare earth in the expansion of the mining industry is the sunrise.

• How SADAC can become a beneficiation hub in Africa.

• Investment and skills in the African continent.

• The future of the industry and the opportunities for young people, and the focus on Limpopo, Northwest, and Northern Cape are the provinces targeted by the government for growth because they have the minerals of the future.

• Hybrid battery and hydrogen-powered prototype truck launched in Limpopo.

• The need for transformation in the sector should focus on women and youth development.

• The hope is that mining can save the planet.

• Collaboration, the environment and productivity.

• Various metals are used in the energy transition.

• The need for the protection and legitimisation of artisanal miners contributing to African metals and minerals economies.

• The reinvention of mining.

The takeaways for the MQA included but were not limited to how the MQA can support the mining sector in terms of the technologies that are being implemented, how the MQA can help communities to access skills development programmes, and the need for the MQA to investigate the funding of e-learning materials, simulations and virtual reality into its programmes.