The world’s “largest mining event”, the Investing in African Mining Indaba, is returning to Cape Town in February 2023 and its speaker line-up boasts business, government, policymakers and investors from across the mining industry.

In February, attendees will hear from global leaders in the Mining Indaba network including Anglo American CEO Duncan Wanblad, Rio Tinto CEO minerals Sinead Kaufman, Exxaro Resources CEO Dr Nombasa Tsengwa, Minerals Council South Africa outgoing CEO Roger Baxter, Gécamines chairperson Alphonse Kaputo Kalubi, and International Council on Mining and Metals CEO Rohitesh Dhawan, as well as many other top executives deeply involved in Africa’s mining industry.

Addressing the 2023 theme ‘Unlocking the future of African mining’, next year’s speakers will consider the challenges and opportunities facing the continent’s mining industry as it seeks ways to bolster its economic power amid the global rush to secure supply for the transition tao greener energy.

The transition to greener energy is a global priority, and as governments and companies increasingly turn to more sustainable and renewable power, the focus is on Africa as a core source of critical minerals such as copper, nickel and cobalt.

African mining has the challenge of providing raw materials into this rapidly growing market while ensuring that the continent can manage its own energy transition.

Security of supply and the availability of power is a pressure point for the South African economy and Mining Indaba is pleased to announce that outgoing South African power utility Eskom CEO André de Ruyter will address the event for the first time.

Since joining Eskom in 2020, De Ruyter has had to contend with significant obstacles, chief among them insufficient power generation capacity. As the country’s coal-fired power stations age and are slowly decommissioned, the utility has had to juggle growing demand with limited generation capacity.

De Ruyter, who told COP27 that it is cheaper to move to green energy than build more coal-fired plants, is working with the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environmental to plan for the utility’s energy transition.

De Ruyter is expected to update the mining community on the utility’s proposed approach to this transition, as well as Eskom’s plans to ensure that South Africa has the power it needs to participate meaningfully on a global level.

Also at Mining Indaba 2023 will be former Mining Indaba advisory board chairperson Mpho Makwana, who will be joined by World Bank lead mining specialist Boubacar Bocoum and Newmont Corporation senior VP – Africa Dave Thornton on a keynote panel to debate whether the issue of security of supply is a threat or opportunity in African metals and minerals supercyclic context.

Other headline speakers who have confirmed their attendance are Ivanhoe founder and executive co-chair Robert Friedland, Vedanta Resources CEO Sunil Duggal, Anglo American Platinum CEO Natascha Viljoen, Newmont president and CEO Tom Palmer and Gold Fields CEO Chris Griffith. These global thought leaders will share what they are doing to address price volatility, geopolitical risks, mineral and energy security and the path to net zero – which are all key to unlocking investment on the continent.

Investing in African Mining Indaba 2023 takes place at the Cape Town International Conference Centre from February 6 to 9.