Business and political thought-leaders from Africa, Australia, North America and the UK will headline the 20th annual Investing in African Mining Indaba, taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 3 to 6 February.
Mining Indaba's "legendary robust discussions and access to industry game-changers" are expected to attract approximately 8 000 delegates this year, according to the organisers. About half the delegates are likely to be from Africa, with the rest coming from Europe, Australia, the Americas and Asia.
The event will feature more than a dozen keynote speakers and over 50 sessions on investment opportunities and the leading mining companies across the African mining value chain.
"This reflects accelerated mining interest around the African continent and underlines the essence of the Mining Indaba - this is where the world really connects with African mining," event managing director Jonathan Moore said in a recent statement.
South African Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu will deliver the welcoming address, while Eleni Gabre-Madhin, founder of the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange and recently named one of the 100 Most Influential Africans, heads up an impressive list of keynote speakers.
Colin Barnett, Western Australia's minister for state development, will focus on win-win mining scenarios for investors, mining companies and governments. Canadian consultant Phil Newman, CEO of CRU Strategies, will discuss the changing face of world mineral supply. And Paul Collier, director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies at Oxford University, will discuss mining and sustainable development.
Makhtar Diop's keynote address will be informed by his World Bank experience, currently as vice-president for the Africa region.
Keynote panels will tackle themes such as the current status and future outlook for African mining and the impact of Asian growth on African mining. Participating in both topics will be Frank Holmes, adviser on sustainable development to the William J Clinton Foundation, and David Hale, a Chicago-based economist renowned for his global market research and insights.
