CAPE TOWN (miningweekly.com) – Mining was walking into a brighter future and the appetite for mining investment was strengthening, attendees of the Investing in African Mining Indaba heard on Monday.

Opening the twenty-fifth consecutive Investing in African Mining Indaba Cape Town, attention was drawn to stepped up investment in battery metals in particular and new priorities that were being emphasised to ensure that countries benefited from mining investment.

Mining Indaba MD Alex Grose said the event had in the last quarter century become the catalyst for billions of dollars of investment in mining on the continent and highlighted an important symbolism by revealing that nothing is brought into South Africa for the event, with even the delegate bags now made in South Africa’s townships.

Mining Indaba advisory board chairperson Mpho Makwana described South Africa as a totally different country from this time last year and one that was now benefitting from quality political leadership and a mining industry led by the new Minerals Council South Africa.

Makwana emphasised the ongoing need for an aligned vision to make complementary sustainability a reality.

A shared vision was also required on the need to embrace modernisation, technology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution for mutual benefit.

Makwana made the point that successful mining would be impossible without ensuring that communities were not harmed and that mining generated new growth opportunities.

Grose spoke of new event owner ITE Group having exciting plans to deliver more concepts.

A battery metals day has been arranged at the Indaba for the first time, with Ford and Honda among the companies providing input and 22 of the newest mining companies will be taking part in an ‘investment battlefield’ to put their investment case.

The message of the mining industry being in a position to make a special contribution to improve the quality of life for all citizens is being emphasised at the event.

“Mining is the bedrock of Africa’s industrial development… and finds itself walking into a brighter future,” Makwana said.