The 22nd Africa Down Under mining and exploration conference in Perth Australia, this week, provided an opportunity for South Africa to showcase its mineral exploration strategy and investment opportunities.
The South Africa delegation is led by Minister of Department of Mineral Resources and Energy Mr. Gwede Mantashe.
Mantashe set the tone for SA’s strategic vision in the resource sector. He highlighted the nation’s efforts to reignite exploration through innovative strategies and enhanced regulatory frameworks, aiming to usher in a new era of resource discovery.
Mzila Mthenjane, CEO of the Minerals Council in South Africa, reiterated Mantashe’s talk and pointed to three challenges facing the business fraternity.
He said the inclusion of the private sector to assist the government to stabilise and restore electricity generation, state-owned transport logistics services and to tackle crime and corruption are driving confidence in South Africa’s mining industry.
He said 3 areas had to be arrested, including energy, logistics and crime and corruption.
“Across all three, we are looking at what we can fix, what we need to build and what are the necessary measures to achieve this.
The key to energy, was to arrest loadshedding, and we are already sitting at close to 6 months without loadshedding.
From a rail perspective, there is still some work to be done, what we can look forward to, is the participation of the private sector, in that area.”
He said business has been very active and the mining sector has been more so, contributing skills and capital.
The Council for Geoscience is also participating at the conference.
Australian mining companies now invest an estimated $60 billion in Africa.