bringing more voices to the mining conversation

The recent Investing In African Mining Indaba 2025 event reflected a sea change within the mining industry and how it involves all stakeholders in shaping the future of the sector. 

With the theme “Future-proofing African mining, today!”, the conference featured a far wider range of viewpoints than traditionally heard at industry events. 

This emphasised the fundamental realignment that mining is undergoing, even while renewable energy, critical minerals, downstream beneficiation and artisanal mining become key topics driving the evolution of the sector. At this year’s Mining Indaba, new perspectives came from many previously overlooked corners of the industry. 

“We provide a platform for all key stakeholders within the African mining industry to partake in conversations that shape the future of mining, and the voice and insights of community representatives is crucial as they play a significant role in the sector,” said Mining Indaba Content and Communities Director Laura Nicholson. 

“This year’s event was about giving African community representation a seat at the table. We understand that it’s time for Africa to drive the global conversation on how mining can be a force for positive change. There are several interest groups that deserve to have their voices amplified.”

Young leaders

To this end, the bulk of the event’s fourth day was dedicated to a Young Leaders Programme, which saw young people from across the industry sharing perspectives. 

Opening the programme, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Minerals and Petroleum Resources, Phumzile Mgcina, encouraged young people to take advantage of opportunities the government was offering in the mining sector. The Junior Mining Exploration Fund, for instance, offers junior mining businesses R400 million in funding for prospecting work. In the artisanal and small-scale mining space, Mgcina said her department had sourced start-up funding for at least 20 projects, to the tune of R67 million.

“Let us work together and ensure that minerals facilitate the developmental and sustainable objectives in Africa,” said Mgcina. Among the many young mining leaders at the conference was Faith Mutete, a small-scale miner from Zimbabwe and CEO of Women In Mining Zimbabwe.

“I am proud to be a part of groups trying to find solutions to social and environmental problems facing our industry,” said Mutete. “Platforms like Mining Indaba allow us to bear out the voices of our people at home.”

Mutete was part of a group of mining community members from South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Nigeria who hosted a media briefing on the sidelines of the Mining Indaba. The briefing included artisanal miners, students and women miners, as well as community activists – a far wider range of voices than traditionally heard at industry events.

The need for direct community engagement in the development of their mining assets was another strong trend emerging at the event. Fortunately, there are significant success stories that can provide a template for other communities. 

Sustainable community value

On the third day of the event, King of the Royal Bafokeng Nation Kgosi Leruo Tshekedi Molotlegi offered advice to communities that are blessed with mineral resources. 

The Royal Bafokeng Nation owns 1,200 square kilometers of land in South Africa’s North West Province, below which lies part of the world’s largest platinum reserve. The nation has a financial asset value estimated to be around $4 billion.

“The point we would make to communities that have mineral resources is that mining does not last forever,” said Kgosi Leruo. w“A mine is a wasting asset that declines in value over time. You can’t sit on that asset. We decided to diversify into the financial services, telecoms, property and transport sectors. Today, mining makes up only a small fraction of our holdings. Now, our biggest focus is education. That is the only way to uplift the lives of your people.”

A representative event

Joanne Spence, Mining Indaba’s event director, said this year’s edition of Investing In African Mining Indaba had been a great success – particularly as communities joined the event as key industry voices. 

“We attracted 10,500 delegates, and we had around 1,000 exhibitors, as well as hundreds more senior government officials from across Africa,” she said. “However, we are most proud of our ability to build a more broadly representative event this year, with indigenous and host communities at the heart of the conference,” Collen Dlamini, Head of Public Affairs stated.

Dlamini said the conference had put additional emphasis on artisanal and small-scale miners, and women had played a central role in many sessions, while the Young Leaders Programme had brought hundreds of aspiring young mining professionals to the event.

“We know that future-proofing mining means empowering those most affected by the industry – the communities – and giving them a voice in shaping the evolution of the sector. 

“We are confident that the 31st edition of Investing In African Mining Indaba has done that successfully, and helped to place the industry on a trajectory of inclusive evolution to the benefit of the broadest possible range of stakeholders,” Nicholson concluded.