This year’s Joburg Indaba will focus on creating an enabling environment that supports mining opportunities in South Africa, providing insights into the global outlook for platinum- group metals (PGMs), the strategies of South African gold producers, the evolving role of coal in the energy transition and the importance of beneficiation for re-industrialisation.

Hosted by Resources4Africa (R4A), the event will be held from October 8 to 9, at the Inanda Club, in Johannesburg, with themes such as skills development, investor confidence and capital allocation decisions being central to this year’s discussions, says R4A CEO Paula Munsie.

“The event is designed to provide a platform for candid discussions on the opportunities and challenges facing the industry,” she adds, noting that it will bring together leaders from mining companies, government, investors and industry stakeholders to discuss the future of South Africa’s mining sector.

The event will also feature the participation of major industry players including Anglo American, Sibanye-Stillwater, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Minerals Council South Africa, Valterra Platinum, Seriti Resources, Thungela, Exxaro Resources, Kumba Iron Ore, Transnet, African Rainbow Minerals, De Beers, Southern Palladium, and the African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation.

While R4A does not pre-empt company announcements, Munsie says delegates can expect Anglo American to expand on its South Africa strategy, Sibanye-Stillwater to share perspectives on geopolitics, gold and PGMs, and the Minerals Council to unpack exploration, logistics and permitting.

“A central theme will be the debate on the trade-offs between growth and transformation,” she says, adding that this topic “goes to the heart of South Africa’s competitiveness”.

The session will consider whether growth and transformation can coexist, who is responsible for driving these dynamics and what practical measures, such as procurement and skills development, can ensure progress on both fronts, she adds.

The Full Value Chain

Critical minerals, energy security and beneficiation will also feature prominently at this year’s Joburg Indaba, which aims to bring together the full value chain – from miners, minerals processors and financiers to original-equipment manufacturers and government.

Munsie adds that geopolitical shifts will also form an important backdrop to the discussions, with panels set to examine how global trade tensions, South Africa’s alignment within the BRICS Plus bloc and the outcomes of the G20 could affect the country’s mining industry.

The objective is to provide investors with a clear view of the risks and opportunities emerging from these dynamics, in addition to government representatives having been briefed to speak about the amendments to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, and the implementation of a mining cadastre system.

“Delegates can, therefore, expect updates on amendment timelines, the rollout of the cadastral system and its implications for exploration and new projects,” she adds.

Logistical challenges remain a pressing issue, and Munsie stresses that the sessions with Eskom and Transnet CEOs will, consequently, be keenly observed.

Eskom is expected to provide updates on grid expansion, transmission bids and the coal decommissioning schedule, while Transnet will cover rail and port restructuring, public–private partnerships and performance improvements.