As delegates prepare for this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba under the theme Stronger together: Progress through partnerships, the focus is shifting to how collaboration, technology integration and policy stability can unlock the next wave of value creation across Africa, highlights business management consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG) MD and partner Tycho Möncks.

The Indaba will be held amid rising expectations that Africa will not only supply critical minerals for the global energy transition but also demonstrate stronger progress in technology integration, regional value creation and climate-aligned competitiveness.

The necessity of these strategic imperatives converging is heightening demand for new models of partnership across industry, government, finance and technology ecosystems, he says.

“This is no longer a period for incremental adjustments but for structural shifts that position African mining as a global leader in sustainable production.”

Möncks highlights that, across the mining sector, executives are grappling with the dual challenges of lowering emissions while preserving cost competitiveness, and BCG’s Johannesburg team argues that these two priorities can reinforce each other when executed using strategic investment and coordinated planning.

“Decarbonisation and competitiveness do not have to be in opposition. They can strengthen each other when renewable energy and efficiency technologies are integrated effectively.”

Solar, wind and hybrid power microgrids are already reducing diesel dependence for several operators, while vehicle fleet electrification and process optimisation are improving carbon intensity and productivity, notes Möncks.

Digital Capabilities, Local Value Chains

Despite infrastructure and skills constraints, BCG maintains that accelerated adoption is possible through strategic partnerships that reduce upfront capital burdens and allow for rapid scaling.

Technologies, such as augmented reality, are also advancing on-site training and maintenance support, helping younger or less-experienced workers to perform complex tasks with greater confidence.

Localisation is another theme expected to command attention in 2026, particularly as global supply chains remain fragile, and BCG argues that African mining executives have a window to strengthen domestic and regional industrial capacity.

“This moment offers a major opportunity, not just to plug supply gaps, but to broaden participation across the value chain,” says BCG project leader Lindokuhle Shongwe.

Such priorities include expanding minerals processing and beneficiation, investing jointly in logistics and energy infrastructure, and aligning procurement with local-content requirements that are increasingly supported by international partners.

Shongwe adds that policy and governance reforms will remain critical to translating these ambitions into sustained investment, noting that policy stability and regulatory transparency remain central to improving confidence ahead of the next mining investment super cycle.

He highlights streamlined permitting, predictable decarbonisation frameworks and enhanced regional cooperation as competitive advantages for attracting long-term capital and enabling cross-border projects that support mineral corridors and shared infrastructure.

With Africa at the centre of the global energy transition, BCG expects this year’s Mining Indaba to emphasise Africa’s strategic role in supplying the minerals required for electrification, advanced manufacturing and renewable-energy technologies.

However, the challenge and opportunity lie in not only extraction but also strengthening how those resources are produced, processed and delivered to global markets, states Shongwe.