Australian Mining in Africa on show in Cape Town
Indaba is a Zulu word for “important gathering”. The “Australian Mining in Africa” reception, co-hosted by Australian Heads of Mission across Africa, attracted African mining ministers from DRC, Ethiopia, Malawi and South Sudan, the Permanent Secretary of Botswana’s Ministry of Mines, and more than 200 representatives of Australia’s leading mining and METS companies. Australian mining is booming on the continent, driven by the global energy transition. Like Australia, African countries have abundant reserves of critical minerals and see the sector as vital to their long-term economic development. Recent figures indicate Australian companies have invested $60 billion in over 200 mining projects across the continent. In 2022, Australian firms spent over a quarter of their exploration budgets in Africa, demonstrating the competitive drive and risk appetite to seek out untapped mineral wealth. This includes vast nation-building projects such as Rio Tinto’s Simandou iron ore project in Guinea, Lindian Resources’ rare earths project in Malawi, and a raft of copper and battery mineral projects across Southern and Eastern Africa, such as Syrah’s graphite
Every February, miners, mining equipment, technology and services (METS) suppliers, governments and researchers converge on Cape Town for Africa’s biggest mining conference, Mining Indaba.
mine in Mozambique and BHP’s investment in the Kobanga nickel project in Tanzania. The headline numbers do not fully reflect the social and economic contribution of Australian mining investment in many African countries, or their importance to Australian diplomacy and knowledge and skills transfer on the continent. In 2023, ASX-listed Sandfire Minerals opened its Motheo copper mining and processing operation in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana. Speaking at the launch of the mine, Botswana’s President HE Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi welcomed the economic opportunities and employment the mine had brought to his country, which aims to become a high-income economy by 2036. Copper is critical to the global energy transition and Sandfire’s investment in the Kalahari will help spur Botswana’s aim to become an important regional hub for the strategic mineral. Australia’s METS suppliers are a critical component of our mining success in Africa. Firms like Barminco, which built the open-cut Motheo mine and the underground Khoemacau mine in Botswana bring world class technologies in mechanised mining and a familiarity with rugged and remote locations that makes them particularly suited to projects in Africa.
Today, ASX-listed Perenti’s local subsidiaries are among the busiest mining service providers operating on the continent. The activities of Australian miners in Africa help strengthen supply chains for critical and strategic minerals and provide for innovative and climate-smart outcomes. They raise the bar for environmental, social and governance standards and provide African communities with local procurement and downstream processing opportunities.
Mining Indaba in Cape Town remains the premier forum for African governments to promote trade and investment, and for Australian resource and service companies to pursue and promote commercial opportunities. Our diplomatic network in Africa is supporting their efforts.
Above: Australia’s heads of mission in Africa at Mining Indaba. From l to r Ms Tegan Brink, High Commissioner to South Africa; Ms Minoli Perera, Ambassador to Zimbabwe; Ms Julia Niblett, Ambassador to Ethiopia; and Ms Leilani Bin-Juda PSM, High Commissioner to Nigeria
26
27
business envoy
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
business envoy
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker