Australia-Africa Minerals & Energy Group (AAMEG) will promote the importance of the Australian resource industry across Africa at this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba.

AAMEG CE Trish O’Reilly, suggests that there are currently more than 50 Australian companies involved in mining extraction activities in Africa, plus 700 service and supply firms. This equates to involvement in more than 700 projects across 38 African countries.

“In-ground discoveries made by Australian companies in Africa amount to $687-billion, which Australia can help translate into socioeconomic growth,” says O’Reilly. “We are able to contribute world-class technology, mining expertise, governance and community development initiatives.”

AAMEG aims to position the Australian extractives industry as Africa’s partner of choice and recently changed its name to include an E – for energy – as it now represents the mining, and oil and gas industry members operating in Africa.

The group supports Australian resource industry companies operating in Africa by promoting Australian companies to African governments and acting as a central point of liaison for these governments when seeking investment or information as well as facilitating the sharing of information, knowledge and learnings through forums and roundtables.

AAMEG states that transparency, social impact and training local workers are all current key areas of focus and it is committed to working with its members and policymakers in Africa and Australia on all aspects related to antibribery and corruption issues. “We are currently engaged in a number of initiatives to help members make this happen, including the following: working with such groups as nongovernmental organisations monitoring and publicising corporate and political corruption in international development Transparency International to deliver joint education sessions,” says O’Reilly.

As part of AAMEG’s aim to train local workers, she adds, the group is focused on the importance of recruitment and skills training of local workforces by Australian companies in African projects. For example AAMEG recently held an event in Perth to showcase a successful model implemented at ASX-listed and Aim-listed mineral sands producer Base Resources in Kenya, presented by AAMEG MD Tim Carstens. This was followed up by a workshop exploring the needs and expectations of junior miners.

O’Reilly believes it is important to attend the Mining Indaba, which runs from February 8 to 11 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, to obtain a sense of whether Africans perceive foreign mining operations as bene- ficial to their respective countries. “It gives us the opportunity to work with the African Development Bank and promote good practice through panel presentations and discussions.”

This also gives AAMEG the opportunity to work with Australian heads based in Africa and African delegations to explore issues of mutual concern and benefit relevant to Australian companies working in Africa.

AAMEG encourages attendance at the Investing in African Mining Indaba and notes that it is looking forward to finding out about industry trends; key issues in Africa, such as taxation, in-migration, localisation and beneficiation; and where and in what investment will be made. The Indaba provides AAMEG with the opportunity to meet with African policymakers to further understand their policy frameworks for translating their mineral wealth into socioeconomic development.

O’Reilly also emphasises that it is important to attend the Sustainable Development sessions, which will be held on February 11, where mining companies, communities and governments will discuss mining’s role in adding value through contributions to health, education and poverty alleviation. It is important for Australian mining companies operating across Africa to operate from a win-win, mutual-benefit-to-all perspective, adds the group.

Having participated in the Indaba for the past three years, AAMEG believes that such events contribute to growth in innovation by promoting trends, ideas and bringing together people from various parts of the industry.