Page 93 - Forbes - Africa (March 2020)

out of the Mining Indaba was a pledge
by South African mining minister Gwede
Mantashe to open up a public private
electricity generating company.
“If there is more competition we can
pull down the price of electricity to the
mines,” Mantahse told a packed press
conference on the first day of the Mining
Indaba.
The move was welcomed by many at
the Mining Indaba, including Brand SA.
“One of the big announcements was
the establishment of the new energy gen-
eration company as Mr Mantashe indicat-
ed, to help us work through some of our
energy challenges in the country and the
bigger question of the future of Eskom. I
think more importantly Mr Mantashe em-
phasized, for this sector to grow in South
Africa we really need deep and significant
partnerships between government and
private sector. I think hearing that from
the minister of minerals, after several
years of stalemate between government
and the industry on the policy environ-
ment etc. we are beginning to move in
the right kind of direction so I think that’s
something important to emphasize,” says
de Kock.
Many major mining companies pre-
sented their vision, in packed auditori-
ums, for the future of the mining industry.
“Anglo Platinum presented on the
global growing…not just on the demand
but on growing new technologies that in-
volve platinum for example…of which we
have 87% of the world’s reserve. So I think
if you look at the ease of doing businesses,
it’s very important how the president is
driving this strategy of improving the ease
of doing business in the country, I think
those elements are some of the key points
so far, for us, from the Indaba,” says de
Kock who was impressed by the narrative
around platinum group metals.
“ Fascinating presentation on the
utilisation and new technologies and
also for example one of the pieces of data
that was shared with us, 17 countries that
account for about 70% global GDP are at a
policy level, beginning to look at fuel cell
technology for public transport, for big
South African mining minister Gwede Mantashe
infrastructure, shipment, trucks etc. So I
think it’s a case of ‘watch this space.”
Often these presentations to for-
eign investors can be promising, as the
African National Congress member Paul
Mashatile found out when he sat in.
“In fact, there were a lot of companies
from Canada that were saying in that
session that we are here to invest. South
African companies come, those who want
to partner with us in different areas of
mining – whether it’s about new tech-
nologies or it’s about new vehicles and
machines etc.’ – because there is a whole
value chain out there in mining. So, I saw
that those who are here from different
parts of the world are here because they
want to invest. So that’s positive!” he says.
The ruling ANC has the job of helping
to ease business and make the South Afri-
can economy more attractive to investors.
How is it tackling the job?
“Firstly we’ve decided that the govern-
ment must do structural reforms. Make
sure that all the state owned companies
are operating properly…good governance
and have boards that are working proper-
ly…have CEOs and management that are
working properly. Root out corruption
from state institutions. I think if we do
that we will succeed in turning around
the economy and see high levels of growth
because the institutions will be produc-
tive,” says Mashatile.
Mining and Brand SA also want more
South Africans to be included in the
mining industry, especially women. A
prominent South African woman in min-
ing is Daphne Mashile-Nkosi who owns
manganese operations in the country’s
Northern Cape.
“I think if you look at the school of
mining at the University of Witwatersrand
from about seven years ago, they have
produced more than 50% young women
engineers. The problem with mining is
that women are never given the space.
Even if they’re appointed theyre appoint-
ed because people want to comply, but
they’re actually not committed allowing
them (women) into their spaces. If you
look at boards – for instance - they allow
women to sit on boards but there are those
cultural and traditional stereotypes where
people actually feel that women don’t
belong there and therefore from their own
subconscious, they actually make them feel
uncomfortable. And until such time that
we claim our space, that mining is for us as
women, because for as long as women are
not in the mining sector society will never
improve,” she says.
A long way to go in many respects; yet
so much could improve this year for South
African mining with commodity prices
improving and new investment on the way.