The 2015 Investing in African Mining Indaba is a natural destination for speciality chemicals, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics company Dow to demonstrate its expertise to mining companies, says Dow sub-Saharan Africa president Ross McLean.

He adds that this expertise is in providing solutions that enable mining companies to enhance process efficiency and reduce their environmental impact.

The Mining Indaba will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from February 9 to 12.

“Dow has a long and proud heritage of enabling customers to extract value from their mining assets, and participating in this year’s indaba will sharpen our focus on the sub-Saharan Africa region, which is a first-tier market in our mining solutions roll-out,” he says.

The indaba also affords Dow the opportunity to cement relationships with existing customers, while allowing the company enough time to connect with new and potential customers, McLean says.

He adds that the event is significant because it draws mining’s most influential stakeholders and decision-makers globally, and provides networking opportunities that solidify important business relationships.

Using the Platform
Dow is planning to use the platform that the Investing in African Mining Indaba provides to showcase its integrated mining portfolio.

The company is a leader in reverse osmosis, nanofiltration membranes and ion-exchange resins. Its technologies enable mine operators to enhance their water management, and extract, separate and purify metals, while also assisting them to reduce waste and recycle reagents, explains McLean.

He adds that Dow has a strong record of working closely with customers to develop and test new innovations, and this is a message that will inform the company’s conversations with key stakeholders at the Mining Indaba.

Meanwhile, Dow mining global business leader Karen Dobson says the company also plans to use the event to entrench its image as the solutions provider and partner of choice for stakeholders in Africa’s mining industry and beyond.

“Our solutions come with a strong global reputation, built on 117 years of chemistry and innovation. We want to be known as the preferred supplier of mine operators,” she says.

Dobson adds that the Mining Indaba should also deal with aspects that promote the long-term sustainability of mining, including safety, waste management, the volatility of prices and the impact on continued operations. Policy uncertainty, rising resource nationalism, industrial action, infrastructure, regulatory hurdles, high-energy demands by the industry and the improvement of mining skills should also be discussed, she stresses.

Dow plans to be a regular participant at the Mining Indaba, as Africa will continue to be a strategic provider of important minerals, with new discoveries still being made.

The company is expanding its footprint on the continent and is also broadening the portfolio of solutions that it provides to key customers in Africa, says Dobson, adding that “the growth of our involvement with the indaba is, therefore, a strategic business decision”.

Benefits for Africa
McLean says mining is a major foreign currency earner for many African countries, and gatherings, such as the Mining Indaba, help to draw billions of dollars of foreign investment into Africa’s mining value chain.

In addition, the event enables Africa to be part of debates and efforts to find solutions to challenges facing the industry on the continent, he points out.

“This is an opportunity for Africa to influence investors and shape the mining agenda, as these mineral resources are, after all, embedded in African communities,” McLean says, adding that the event is also a platform where cross- continental stakeholders can come together to share knowledge, best practices and exchange perspectives on mining in general, which is necessary to achieve sustainable mining in Africa.

Dow is looking forward to meeting with key industry players and learning about future industry trends and innovations, says Dobson, adding that the company is also excited to participate in debates and efforts to ensure that mining continues to generate even more value for not only shareholders but also the affected communities.

“We also want to be part of initiatives and discussions that seek to protect the environment for future generations,” concludes Dobson.