The mining industry continues to be a vital part of South Africa’s pursuit of faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth to increase employment and achieve a more equal and prosperous society.
The sector currently contributes roughly 7,5% to South Africa’s GDP and accounts for some 60% of South African exports by value. It also employs approximately 476 000 people.
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at the first day of the 2024 African Mining Indaba at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
The President’s participation at the global event underscores the significance of collaboration and sustainable development in the mining sector.
Reported to be the continent’s largest investment mining event, this year’s indaba is being held under the theme “Embracing the power of positive disruption: A bold new future for African mining” and runs from 5 to 8 February. The conference aims to inspire and facilitate the changes and disruptions required to advance the African mining industry.
The indaba provides a significant platform for networking and securing new opportunities to grow the local mining industry. With its distinctive and expanding outlook on the African mining sector, the platform unites visionaries and innovators spanning the entire mining value chain. This year marks the 30th annual Mining Indaba, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s democracy.
In his address to the hundreds of delegates, President Ramaphosa highlighted that South Africa’s mining industry has undergone significant transformation over the past three decades. This change for the benefit of all.
“The theme of this year’s Mining Indaba is about embracing the power of positive disruption. The transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy, society and world is one of the most significant positive disruptions of our modern age,” said the President.
President Ramaphosa added that the vast majority of the minerals that are key to the global energy transition lie beneath the soil of our continent. These include manganese, iron ore, copper, cobalt, nickel and platinum group metals.
“Africa has the potential to be the fulcrum of the global energy transition, with mining at its core,” the President said.
The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and its entities, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Mandela Mining Precinct, are working on several initiatives to support the modernisation of mining and improve the safety of the sector.
The DSI and its entities are showcasing tailor-made capabilities designed for this purpose, emphasising the commitment to safety and security in the mining sector, and positioning themselves as innovation partners for the mining industry.
Experts from the DSI-led partnership will participate in various panel discussions including automation and the African context, academia’s response to the exponential rate of technological change, and the impact of technology in advancing health and safety while maintaining productivity.
To ensure the growth and sustainability of this industry, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), through the 2019 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), has positioned South Africa’s national system of innovation as an enabler to increase the contribution of STI to address the country’s development challenges.
The development of the South African Minerals Extraction Research, Development, and Innovation (SAMERDI) strategy is one of the outcomes of the Mining Phakisa initiative that began in 2015. The initial SAMERDI focus is on hard-rock, narrow reef (platinum group metals and gold) ore bodies – a very difficult and expensive problem to solve. The SAMERDI strategy is being implemented by the Mandela Mining Precinct, which is hosted by the CSIR. It constitutes a pioneer collaboration in mining research, development, and innovation as all stakeholders, including government, mining companies and local mining equipment manufacturers, the research community, as well as organised labour, acknowledge the requirement for a coherent, collaborative approach to contribute towards the modernisation of South Africa’s minerals sector and ensure its long-term sustainability.
The execution of the SAMERDI strategy and its associated activities have already seen many results, and these collaborative efforts will continue to yield benefits for the sector.