Phosphate and rare earths are topics likely to feature in the keynote address of mining consultancy Core Con-sultants MD Lara Smith at this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba.

“Each year, I choose three metals from the minor metals category and discuss the latest supply and demand trends, price forecasts and developments in the industry.

“Africa is endowed with vast resources and, as a continent, it is among the most under- explored areas in the world. The commodities I choose always reflect Africa’s importance in the mining industry,” she says.

Smith says phosphate is a contender for her presentation at the Cape Town event, which will run from February 4 to 7, as it is a critical component of fertilisers.

“As countries become wealthier, their diets change and, therefore, more technical farming techniques are needed. There are too few projects coming on stream, compared with the demand outlook for the market.

“Over the past 18 months, there has been about $9-billion in capital investment into the global phosphate industry,” she points out.

Last year, Smith told Mining Weekly that rare earths were experiencing high demand, the bulk of which were concentrated and produced in China.

She said substantial funds had been raised and invested by Japan in the research and development of rare earths recycling methods, as more countries attempted to diversify away from a reliance on Chinese rare-earth materials.

She noted that the introduction of new rare earths producers in other countries would be costly, compared with China, where not only were the orebodies more favourable and amenable to extraction processing, but where the labour and environment costs were also lower.

Smith says her presentations, which previously focused on topics like trends in minor metals, are usually attended by bankers, producers and end-users.

“I try to make sure the presentation is relevant to all delegates who attend. “Everyone would like to understand the outlook for the market and my presentation will highlight key trends and what to consider when making investments in these industries,” she says, adding that she is looking forward to the presentations and networking opportunities.

“The presentations at the Mining Indaba are always of the highest calibre, with an opportunity to expand one’s knowledge outside of one’s direct area of expertise.

“Further, the networking opportunities are unparalleled,” she states.

Last year, Smith focused on cobalt, tantalum and rare earths in her address.

At the time, Smith told Mining Weekly that she chose these metals as they were increasingly used in everyday technology and reflected an increase in demand.

She said speaking at the event was an invaluable experience for Core Consultants as the company was able to interact with industry role-players and provide an analysis and opinion on global commodity outlooks for the company.