Communication and trust have moved to the centre of mining’s efforts to mitigate social risk – a shift increasingly reflected in the sector’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments, says multidisciplinary consultancy SRK Consulting South Africa MD Andrew van Zyl, ahead of the 2026 Investing in African Mining Indaba.

The Indaba, to be held in Cape Town in early February, offers a platform for strengthening communication and trust across Africa’s mining ecosystem, at a time when misinformation is placing growing pressure on relationships between industry, governments, investors and communities.

He notes that the event’s theme, Stronger together: Progress through partnerships, aligns closely with the mining sector’s need for deeper collaboration to manage social risk.

“Mining companies are operating in an environment where messages can spread instantly through digital platforms, often without a shared factual basis. It is increasingly common for mines and host communities to disagree on basic facts around contentious issues, which undermines trust and heightens social risk,” explains Van Zyl.

While the industry cannot fully control the spread of untruths, he says it can, however, take responsibility through how it communicates with audiences, with proactive, transparent engagement becoming a “core requirement of ESG performance, rather than a supporting activity”.

Here, face-to-face engagement remains one of the most effective tools available to the mining sector, states Van Zyl, adding that in-person discussions at forums such as the Mining Indaba allow stakeholders to better understand each other’s values, perspectives and priorities, which is more difficult to achieve through virtual platforms alone.

Building Trust

Trust is built over time through consistency between words and actions, states Van Zyl, explaining that repeated, authentic engagement allows stakeholders to form accurate assessments of one another and gradually establish credibility.

“This process is essential for partnerships to function effectively across the mining value chain,” he outlines.

Because mining professionals act as ambassadors for their companies and the broader industry in every interaction, the tone and substance of discussions at the Mining Indaba often shapes how messages are conveyed to wider stakeholder groups, including communities directly affected by mining activities, says Van Zyl.

Once trust is established, he notes that the likelihood of finding constructive solutions to disagreements is enhanced, including options that may not previously have been considered.

This is particularly important in mine-community relationships, where trust underpins the industry’s social licence to operate, suggests Van Zyl.

The mining sector has made significant technical and engineering advances and in how it engages with society.

A mining company’s delivery on their ESG commitments creates a basis for building trust, however, the effectiveness depends on credible communication and trusted relationships, he notes.

Van Zyl also warns that the rise of AI is likely to accelerate the spread of misinformation, increasing the burden on mining companies to build resilient partnerships.

“Greater trust provides firmer ground for decision-making and enables the industry to sustain progress through collaboration, even in an increasingly complex information environment,” he concludes.