As Australia evaluates its current $686 billion worth of discoveries in Africa’s mineral resources sector over recent years, a record number of African mining ministers will arrive in Perth next week to put their case for even greater Australian involvement in the continent’s exploration and mining endeavours.Their visit – for the three day 2014 Paydirt Africa Down Under conference – coincides with analysts forecasting a cautious upturn in market sentiment towards resource stocks.

Those forecasts are in part backed up in a report released last week by market researcher, SNL Metals and Mining, which found mineral discoveries in Africa by some 220 Australian companies in the past five years and over more than 1,100 projects - were worth around $686 billion on current commodity prices. “This annual September forum has long acted as a barometer of the market’s attitudes towards African mining opportunities, but with mining’s standing in a still-unsteady global economy regaining stability, next week’s Africa Down Under will be something of a litmus test of just how far and how fast the African countries now want to lock in additional Australian investment,” Conference Convenor, Mr Bill Repard, said today.

“Certainly, African government representation will be at its highest-ever level,” Mr Repard said, “and I think we have to take that as a sign not just of the intensity, but the enhanced competition and rivalry among African countries to earn the trust and respect of  Australian partners,” he said. “While junior explorers are far from out of the woods yet, there are signs investors are once again beginning to warm to African mining stories as they look to balance slowing returns in Western countries. “This allure is also being fuelled by the high growth rate of Africa. However, it is only those African countries with sound, consistent mineral policy and stable government that will attract Australian interest in the coming year.” Newly installed South African Minister for Mineral Resources, Mr Ngoako Ramatlhodi, who has surprised many with his assertive arrival on the much-troubled South African mining scene, will be a keynote speaker on the first day of the Conference, to be opened next Wednesday morning by WA Premier, Mr Colin Barnett.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will also host a sanctions-focused event to assist in building links between the UN Security Council and the Australian-African mining industry. Federal Minister for Finance, Senator Mathias Cormann, will address delegates on the Friday morning. Another notable presentation will be the address and two workshop sessions for CEOs to be run by world renowned ebola expert, Professor David Heymann, CBE.

Mr Repard said earlier this month that infectious disease risks in Africa posed unique legal and logistical challenges to Australian companies and their directors in providing a safe and healthy workplace, particularly as they had the chance in the current ebola outbreak in west Africa to be proactive ahead of any escalation in that outbreak’s health risk.

He said that where failure to act involved a risk of death, as with Ebola, maximum penalties were up to $600,000 for individuals and $3 million for companies, with up to five years imprisonment in more extreme cases.

Africa Down Under will run for three days from Wednesday 3rd September and has attracted a record number of 20 visiting African Mining Ministers and more than 23 African government delegations.

Around 2,000 delegates are expected to attend what is now one of the largest mining conferences held in Australia and the world’s largest business forum on Africa outside of that continent.