Gaborone, Botswana – 13 October 2017. The Department of Trade and Industry of the African Union Commission in partnership with GRV Global, an Event Management Company organized the third Edition of the Africa Mining Summit under the theme: “Reviving Africa Mining Products”. The Summit comprised of a two-day conference which included, Keynote presentations and panel discussions on all aspects related to the Continent’s ongoing mining and mineral resource development efforts. Africa Mining Summit enables more networking and face time through longer refreshment and lunch breaks, dedicated networking and exhibiting zones, a cultural dinner and pre-scheduled match making one-on-one and b2b sessions. The annual event brings together suppliers and captains of industry around the world who are looking to invest in the minerals sector in Africa but also promote and make deals in various goods and services along the minerals value chain. Its participants, therefore, include the mining corporates who seek investment, investors who want to strike deals and African Government Ministers and Private Sector who engage all groups to discuss new opportunities in their countries.
While welcoming participants, Mr. Andrew Dowel, CEO of GRV Global, expressed his gratitude to the African Union Commission for the partnership and for steadfastly supporting GRV Global’s efforts in producing the Africa Mining Summit. He pointed out that mining companies operate in complex geographies where they face increasing challenges in responding to regulatory and compliance requirements. He emphasized the fact that mining companies are also required to adapt to changing market conditions while adopting new innovations as they seek to produce more for less cost. Mr. Dowel welcomed the Africa Mining Vision which, he said, set the vision of the continent in terms of mineral resources development. The GRV Global’s CEO explained that the Africa Mining Vision seeks to actively promote the integration of Africa’s minerals sector into national economic and social activities. “We need to think outside the box in order to maximize the continent’s resources wealth”, he concluded.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Amb. Albert M. Muchanga, Commissioner for Trade and Industry of the African Union Commission thanked the Government and the people of the Republic of Botswana for their hospitality and their outstanding generosity. “The Africa Mining Summit has come of age and I am sure it will now grow with a dynamism of its own. We see signs that Africa Mining Summit is moving to the right direction”, said the Commissioner before congratulating GRV Global and other sponsors for creating the Africa Mining Summit. Commissioner Muchanga pointed out that African Union Commission sees great scope in the summit mobilizing investments and providing solutions to the challenges facing the mining industry in Africa. According to the Commissioner, the Africa Mining Summit is a vehicle in mobilizing the Private Sector to implement the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in 2009. He recalled key deliverables of the symposium of Chambers of Mines and other Mining Associations in Africa held from 5-7 October, 2017 in Windhoek, Namibia including the endorsement of the Private Sector Compact and the Windhoek Declaration that officially declared the creation of the Association of Chambers of Mines and other Mining Associations in Africa (ACMMAA). Ambassador Muchanga also echoed the fact that the Africa Minerals Governance Framework (AMGF), jointly developed by the African Union Commission and the African Minerals Development Centre, is assisting African Union Member States to attract investments that would ensure sustainable exploitation of the mineral resources for present and future generations. “This is an instrument designed to monitor the implementation of the Africa Mining Vision in order to ensure that the exploitation of minerals in Africa contribute optimally to national, regional and continental goals of sustainable development”, he underscored. Before he concluded, Ambassador Muchanga emphasized that the establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) will bring concrete opportunities to market players in the African mining and related sectors as it will create an integrated market of 1.2 billion people supported by an aggregate economy of about US$3.4 trillion. “Investors, suppliers and existing businesses will all greatly benefit from this large market in terms of localization, aggregation and arbitrage and through the development of Regional Value Chains”, he concluded.
Before he declared the Summit open Hon. Advocate Sadique Kebonang, Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security of the Republic of Botswana, expressed his gratitude to the African Union Commission for co-hosting the third Africa Mining Summit. He pointed out that in the SADC regional mineral economy, politics of resources nationalism have brought negative arbitrage on prospective risk investment in the sector, affecting greatly Junior resource development companies. “in spite of the political atmosphere, the Juniors and energy fuels development market in SADC have shown resilience and remain very positive”, he acknowledged. According to the Minister, Africa needs to act together to develop a well-planned economic, environmental and social strategy of introducing viable and affordable new energy sources and related storage technologies. “Botswana has already embarked on Solar Energy development and will going forward, be actively researching other energy fuels, production and storage related investments for potential future diversification and sustainability of our economy”, he announced. Hon. Kebonang stated that Africa must be determined to ensuring future export of fully beneficiated mineral resources onto world seaborne markets but admitted that this will continue to depend largely on the logistical infrastructure establishment through international and local investment in the Continent.
The Summit ended by a Closing Ceremony with reflections from H.E. Amb. Albert Muchanga and GRV Global’s CEO Mr. Andrew Dowel, setting plans for the 4th Summit from 10-12 October 2018, once again in Gaborone, Botswana.
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For further information, please contact Mr. Frank Dixon Mugyenyi, Senior Industry Advisor - Email: MugyenyiF@africa-union.org
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