Eskom and its generation and grid dynamics will likely be a key talking point at this year’s Joburg Indaba, says professional services and auditing firm PwC Africa energy, utilities and resources leader Andries Rossouw.

PwC is the lead sponsor of the event – to be held from October 8 to 9, at the Inanda Club, in Sandton – that has become an important platform for open and robust discussions on challenges and opportunities in the mining industry.



Rossouw says infrastructure challenges will also dominate the agenda: “Logistics and energy security remain unresolved, and Eskom is still central to that conversation.”

Delegates will also want clarity on the progress of the new cadastral system, implementation of which has been promised to improve transparency in licensing, but which has yet to be fully implemented.

Investors are concerned about the process and delays in licensing, with the cadastral system, designed to make applications for exploration and mining rights more transparent, regarded as essential to restoring confidence.

“The hope is that the implementation of this system . . . will materialise in the coming year,” he adds.

Another topical discussion is likely to revolve around proposed amendments to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, along with other ongoing efforts to rebuild trust between government and industry.



PwC’s involvement in the Joburg Indaba aligns with the firm’s purpose of building trust and solving important problems, says PwC partner Vuyiswa Khutlang.

Despite its importance, the mining sector continues to grapple with structural constraints, and as such, electricity, water supply and mine-to-market logistics remain problematic.

“Combined with rising input costs and inflationary pressures, these factors put margins under severe strain. Even in a high-gold-price environment, companies are feeling the impact of input cost increases,” adds Rossouw.

Sustainability, ESG

Sustainability, as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, will also feature strongly in discussions, says Rossouw, adding that while global conversations often emphasise the environmental pillar of ESG, the South African mining industry has also focused heavily on social issues.

“We need a balanced approach that considers ESG elements equally,” he says, adding that clear boundaries must be drawn between the responsibilities of mining companies and those of government in terms of addressing social challenges.

Collaboration among stakeholders “is vital in achieving these objectives [as] we have seen benefits where government and industry worked together, such as in Eskom maintenance programmes and joint water initiatives. Similar collaboration in logistics has also helped improve coal export tonnages to port,” says Rossouw.

These examples prove that meaningful progress can be made when the private and public sectors align their efforts, he notes.

Looking at opportunities ahead, he says the priority is to create an enabling environment for exploration and mining.

This means addressing infrastructure bottlenecks, ensuring that the cadastral system is implemented.



Rossouw is clear on the outcome that PwC hopes will emerge from this year’s Indaba: “We need all stakeholders to create an enabling environment for the mining industry to realise its potential. South Africa is blessed with abundant resources, but while those resources stay underground, they add no value. We need certainty so that companies are confident to invest and mine.”