Sustainable banking-focused banker Nedbank aims to use the Investing in African Mining Indaba – to be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from February 9 to 12 – to find, promote and finance mining projects and companies that are prepared to survive tough economic conditions and make a success of their businesses, says Nedbank Capital senior investment banker Mark Tyler.

“We are making a special effort this year to get closer to our clients and get the message across that, however turbulent the markets are currently, Nedbank is committed to stay by their side,” he explains.

Tyler says every year he speaks at the Mining Indaba about the state of mining finance of the preceding year, “with particular emphasis on the state of finance for junior miners”.

Participation
Tyler tells Mining Weekly that the indaba is the biggest mining finance conference on the African continent and “it presents an opportunity for industry players to . . . exchange views, raise money and invest in African production”.

Nedbank has been involved in the Investing in African Mining Indaba since the mid-1990s, and when the bank established a mining finance department in 2002, it seemed natural to continue its involvement “in what was, at first, a fairly small, intimate event”, says Tyler.

He adds that Nedbank increased its involvement as the conference grew, which enabled the institution to raise its brand awareness and continue with its participation in the extensive discussions and meetings that are now part of the event.

The Mining Indaba currently deals with many issues. It has become a large marketplace for goods and services associated with the mining industry. “The event has always been a marketplace for good projects, good companies and good ideas – a place where investment managers can find opportunities to deploy the funds at their disposal.”

In addition, the indaba has also become a forum for the industry to address political, social and environmental issues – “with a big involvement by African governments lately”, says Tyler.

“From a simple retail banking perspective, the thousands of people that gather in Cape Town for the duration of the event are a very important market for us.”

From a corporate and investment banking perspective, Nedbank intends to carry on participating in the event for as long as it will provide a marketplace for mining-specific financing. Tyler says the way that this is done will “undoubtedly” differ from the way it has been done since the mid-1990s, but that Nedbank “will . . . participate in whatever form it does happen”.