2025 Mining Indaba relocates government activities to CTICC 2 building
Move will see state role players increase their participation in one of the world’s premier resource conferences.
THE 2025 Mining Indaba’s government activities will be “larger and more impactful” following its relocation to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) 2 building. The 2025 Mining Indaba, which will be held from 3 to 6 February, in Cape Town for the 31st time, is one of the world’s premier resources conferences. This can be seen in the 2024 event having over 9 900 delegates attending, had 410 speakers, and hosted 1 200 investors and 1 500 mining executives.
Collaboration between government and private sector
Aside from being a gathering place for players in the private sector, it is also a venue for government decision-makers to share ideas and conclude deals. The growing importance of the role of governments can be seen in the 44 C-level mining executives and 24 government ministers discussing and further strengthening public-private collaboration on the sustainable development of Africa’s mining sector, at the 2024 Mining Indaba’s Ministerial Symposium.
Enhanced government presence at CTICC 2
In recognition of the importance of the government’s contribution to the mining sector, the government activities will be relocated to CTICC 2 building, which has six exhibition halls, four meeting suites, five meeting pod rooms, an executive boardroom, three open-air terraces including a rooftop venue, a coffee shop, and a multi-level parking garage. CTICC 2 was opened at the start of 2018 and cost R900-million.
Expanding space for critical discussions
“This move aims to provide ministers with a larger and more collaborative space to participate in crucial discussions and projects for sustainable investment and development in the mining sector. With a focus on enhancing attendee experience, the new government hub will serve as a central point for ministers to navigate the full Mining Indaba event with ease,” said Mining Indaba.
Key themes from Mining Indaba 2024
The 2024 Mining Indaba saw governments and the private sector addressing the stubborn challenges of logistics and infrastructure investment, attracting exploration spend, driving investment in the sector, reducing policy uncertainty, and overcoming skills shortages.
Challenges facing Africa’s mining growth
The three key themes were identified as major inhibitors to Africa’s growth: limited exploration spend and investment, reducing minerals right issuing backlogs, and unexploiting its critical minerals abundance.
Long-term solutions to exploration challenges
Challenges in mineral rights including corruption, bureaucracy, and red tape, were raised as issues. It was also noted that increasing exploration was crucial, as a mine could take decades to build. Long-term strategies, such as cadastral systems, could help alleviate the lack of exploration across Africa.
Post-event report tracks solutions
In the Mining Indaba 2024 Post Event Report, solutions to these issues included advancements in geological mapping and identifying mineral endowments to encourage exploration. The Ministerial Symposium would track progress in addressing these challenges, with post-event gatherings for feedback.
Mantashe calls for regional value chains
Then Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, in his opening address at the 2024 Ministerial Symposium did not hesitate to address the sector’s most pressing issues. He said transforming mining needs the building of regional value chains and forming part of supply chains in the global green economy, while also making a meaningful impact on people’s lives through socio-economic development and sustainable growth.
Collaboration and sustainable development
He also pointed out that transformation required a shared understanding of what Africa wants to achieve; how African countries can better collaborate, for example, along regional value chains and leveraging agreements such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); how countries can overcome one of the biggest challenges, namely access to energy, and how to respond with peaceful solutions to the geopolitics of the scramble for critical minerals.
