- The backlog of applications has been cleared
- Out of 2,000 applications received, 268 prospecting rights, 85 renewals and 190 operating licences granted
- 2023 was a difficult year for the African mining industry due to international and national factors
- On the energy front, national energy and logistics crisis committees made up of private and public sector representatives were set up
- 1,312 generating facilities with a combined capacity of 6,387 MW
- 32% of which supply the mining sector
The 30th Investing in African Mining Indaba opened its doors on Monday 5 February 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa. The theme of the event, which runs from 5 to 8 February 2024, is “Seizing the power of positive disruption: a bold new future for African mining industry”.
Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, spoke at the opening ceremony. He said that 2023 had proved to be a difficult year for the African mining industry due to a multitude of international and national factors. He gave a brief overview of the situation, while also outlining the opportunities available in the sector. Among the difficulties: “High energy prices and inflation, falling commodity prices, load shedding and logistical bottlenecks have continued to weigh on operating costs, limiting the mining industry’s contribution to our economies to the bare minimum”, he said. But the South African government has invested efforts, enabling the country’s mining industry to prove its resilience by making a marginal but significant contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023.
In fact, over the last 5 years, the sector has seen significant investment in new mining operations and extensions to existing mining operations. A significant number of new mining operations are focused on industrial minerals, diamonds, coal, manganese, iron, gold, platinum group metals, chromium, copper, lithium and other precious metals.
To ensure regulatory certainty in the mining industry, the government contracted a service provider to design, implement and maintain a mining licensing system aimed at improving efficiency and transparency in the application, granting and management of exploration permits and mining rights. This measure enabled significant progress to be made in 2023. In fact, of the 2,000 applications received, South Africa granted 268 exploration rights, 32 mining rights, 85 renewals, 184 amendments and 190 operating licences. The Department of Mines is making efforts to clear the backlog of permits granted this year.
On the energy front, resources have been invested to resolve these bottlenecks through national energy and logistics crisis committees made up of private and public sector representatives. 1,312 generation facilities with a combined capacity of 6,387 MW, 32% of which supply mining loads, have been installed.
In addition, calls for tenders have been published for the acquisition of 1,000 MW of renewable energy, 2,000 MW of gas for electricity generation and 615 MW.
“We hope that we will emerge from this year’s Mining Indaba with renewed vigour and commitment to invest in the new African mining order that aims to make the African mining industry a major global competitor,” concluded Gwede Mantashe, South Africa’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy.
Elie KABORE
Depuis Cap Town pour Minesactu.info
