The Australia Connection: Africa Mining Forum Explores How Aussies View Continent�s Mining Potential

Kigali, Rwanda, November 15, 2020 –(PR.com)– The upcoming Africa Mining Forum will shine a spotlight on the �Africa-Australia mining connection” and look at what prospective investors are looking for.

“Inspiration and aspiration,” is the answer of the moderator of the session, Duncan Harris, who is the President of the Australia Africa Chamber of Commerce. “There are opportunities aplenty across all commodities, including the rise and rise of critical minerals such as vanadium,” he adds.

The Africa Mining Forum Digital Event takes place online from 16-20 November, is free to attend and registrations are open on the event website.

Harris said during this week’s pre-event media briefing that during the COVID-19 pandemic: “Our companies have been quite resilient and they’ve really done very, very well. Al of them, of course, work remotely, so it is not as if they’re in urban situations, which have been a lot of the focus lately of the concerns about COVID. So, overall very satisfactory.”

Continued success in Africa
William Witham, CEO of AAMEG, the Australia-Africa Minerals & Energy Group and a panellist in the “Australia connection” discussion on 16 November, concurs.

“Despite all the challenges that COVID-19 is giving us all at present, we are finding that our members are having continuing success in Africa now. Many are still attracting investors for exploration, buying new projects, and running sustainable community development programmes. It is interesting to note that there is a lot of M&A activity.”

What COVID-19 has made clear, says Witham, is that there has never been a more critical time to work together to support our employees and local communities.

“Looking ahead, collaboration between government, civil society and the private sector will play an important role in helping African economies and supply chains rebuild. The mining industry will have a crucial role to play in responsibly producing the metals and minerals needed to aid economic recovery and continue the transition to a low-carbon economy.”

Continent maturing
Another panellists, Ben Gargett, Africa Practice Leader and CFO Advisory at PwC Australia, says that Africa has their attention as the continent is continually developing and maturing, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What we have seen over the last decade or even longer than that, is that there are countries that are developing in their own governance, their own experience, opening up to the world and really seeing themselves mature, quite rapidly at times. Therefore, places that were perhaps hard to work in previously are becoming easier to work in.

“And there are areas that are highly prospective geologically are becoming more and more prospective from a doing business perspective as well. And that continues even to this day and from a macro perspective is very important and a real positive.”

Opening keynote
The Africa-Australia connection session on the opening day of Africa Mining Forum’s Digital Event on 16 November will follow the opening keynote which will unpack the theme: “The next smart move: COVID-19 recovery plan to stimulate investment into mining exploration in Africa.”

The widely respected industry expert Sheila Khama, Non-Executive Director, Consultant and Minerals, Oil and Gas Policy Advisor will chair these leading experts in the discussion:

• H.E Francis Gatare, CEO, Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board, Rwanda
• Emma Wade-Smith OBE, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Africa, UK Department of Trade, South Africa
• Jörgen Sandström, Head of Mining and Metals Industry, World Economic Forum, Switzerland
• Hubert Danso, CEO and Vice Chairman, Africa Investor, South Africa

Africa Mining Forum’s five-day, comprehensive digital line-up will include:
* 12 Strategic Spotlights
* Women in Mining
* Matchmaking
* Mining Market Place
* Regional Ministerial Forum

Some of the focus areas of the Spotlight sessions:
– Beyond gold: West Africa’s potential to feed the emerging battery metals market
– “Made in Africa”: Building a solid beneficiation industry to deliver better return on investment
– Managing ESG compliance and investor expectations
– Reshaping energy capital flows to drive positive investment into mining
– Raising lucrative capital for juniors in Africa
– Dive into mining jurisdictions: What do you know about Guinea?
– The gold potential of the DRC
– Attracting responsible mining and natural resources investment in the Great Lakes region in a pandemic environment

The full programme is available on the event website.

Industry support
Aldango Gold Refinery is the returning diamond sponsor for the Africa Mining Forum Digital Event, while LuNa Smelter is once again the gold sponsor. The event is also supported by bronze sponsors Basil Read Mining, BKT, Catoca, GTK, HTDS, Secon Sonic Technology and Sodeico.

African Mining Forum dates and location:
Digital event: 16-20 November 2020
Onsite event in Kigali: November 2021

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