It was unusual – no mountain, no sea, and no wine. Virtually, Mining Indaba felt as normal as a windless afternoon in the Mother City, writes Leon Louw.
African Mining Indaba has been a highlight on the mining industry’s calendar for the last 26 years. Interest in the event, held in Cape Town, South Africa every year, has grown exponentially since its humble beginnings in 1994. The show went on despite political upheavals and military coups across Africa, water restrictions in Cape Town, and several different organisers. Nothing could stop international delegates from flocking down to Cape Town in February to enjoy the South African hospitality. This year was different. Delegates were zooming in from home, still interested, but unable to enjoy the sun, the sea, and Cape Town’s world-class wine and cuisine.
Although COVID-19 has put a spoke in the wheel, the fact that Indaba is still with us, albeit in a strange format, is a feather in the hat of the organisers. The other difference is that over the past five years or so, the mining industry was trying to dig itself out of a bottomless pit of depressed commodity process are booming. Yes, it is volatile, but some analysts predict that the world is on the cusp of another super cycle. That was one good reason to tune in to the virtual event. There was more than enough meat on the menu to give delegates some idea of where mining is heading and how it will recover from the coronavirus malaise.
What was trending at Indaba?
The overarching theme for this year’s online event was ‘Resilience and Regrowth: Adopting the new mindset for African mining’, which offered a comprehensive agenda filled with cutting-edge topics and critical information from the industry’s eminent minds and most influential companies – including four heads of state, Anglo American, Minerals Council South Africa, Exxaro Resources, Rio Tinto, Gold Fields and many more. Each shared their unique insights helping to shape the industry and what the future holds for the mining sector.
