The Investing in African Mining Indaba has “recreated a platform for emerging or smaller miners to participate at a palatable price point”, says outgoing Mining Indaba MD Jonathan Moore.

Mining Indaba in June announced price reductions of up to 50% for mining corporates, as many companies had indicated that “market conditions and poor currency conversion rates made it difficult to send all who should participate in the conference, [while], in some cases, companies could not attend at all”.

Along with the price reduction, Mining Indaba will, for the 2017 event, introduce unique ways for people to connect and meet, with improvements that will include the expansion of the commodity-specific, speed-networking programme and the networking roundtables.

The organisers will also promote a stronger content offering with respect to issues-based dialogue. “We have a new head of content, tasked with ensuring meaningful and real dialogue on issues of key importance, which are probably [preventing] the sector from achieving its true potential,” Moore noted.

Further, with engagement and dialogue at the 2016 Mining Indaba “certainly more positive than the 2015 Indaba”, Moore noted, currently, the entire focus is to build on that and to have the participation and mix of participants at a level that the Indaba requires to be optimally successful.

This requires the participation of more mining companies, investors, governments and providers of professional services.

Consequently, a key focus for Mining Indaba officials for the upcoming event, which will be hosted from February 6 to 9, includes increasing the participation of providers of financial and professional services.

“Mining transactions require bankers, financial and legal advice, services [and] consulting,” Moore stressed, noting that, consequently, from now to February 2017, there will be a consistent series of announcements of engagements at the Indaba from specific service providers. Several financial institutions will also return to the event as sponsors.

Mining Indaba will, therefore, strategically collaborate with these institutions to bring their corporate mining clients and investor base to the Indaba to bear directly on the event, Moore said.

Speaking at a media briefing in Johannesburg, last week, Moore, who will step down in October to pursue other interests, revealed that the number of mining companies that had signed up to participate in the upcoming Mining Indaba had already improved by 63% year-on-year, while the number of investors that had signed up had increased by 120% year-on-year.

The organisers expect strong investor participation from the UK and Canada, as well as “a significantly stronger investor interest from Australia” – based on the early sign-ups for the February 2017 event.

This was in addition to an expected improved participation from South African investors, for which the Mining Indaba had undertaken specific initiatives to increase participation, Moore said.

“My anticipation is that we will have an event that has much stronger participation from mining corporates, investors and government – and all supported by the appropriate financial and professional institutions at this year’s Mining Indaba,” he stated.

“Mining Indaba moves a lot more like a battleship than a speedboat – it is a big event,” Moore added, noting that, when change was implemented, it took time to get the desired response.

However, changes implemented since 2013 “have borne fruit and are steering the Indaba in a positive direction”, he said.

The organisers have, in recent years, introduced a number of changes to the Indaba, including the establishment of a companion conference, the Investment Discovery Forum, as well the Mining Indaba Investor Programme and a speed networking programme.

Key changes in the steering of the 2017 event include a new Mining Indaba MD, with Alex Grose to succeed Moore, who has led the Mining Indaba for nine years from October 10.

“Alex is stepping into the business when we have a well-defined strategy, operating plan and trajectory, as well as budget in place. Certainly, the intent is to continue with that,” Moore said, noting that he does not expect significant short-term wholesale changes.

Grose agreed, reiterating his excitement about the changes in development for the 2017 event. “[The Mining Indaba] matters to Cape Town, to South Africa and to the mining industry. It is not just another conference and that is inspiring,” he said.

As a result of a long-term aim to take the Investing in African Mining Indaba platform and globalise it, Mining Indaba aims to launch a Latin American version – the Latin America Cumbre, in 2017.

Depending on market readiness, Mining Indaba also intends to relaunch an Asian Mining Indaba in the following year.