Consulting engineering firm SRK Consulting South Africa is highlight- ing its recently formed multidisciplinary strategy and policy group, aimed at providing high-level strategic guidance for mining companies and governments, at the 2014 Investing in African Mining Indaba, which will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, from February 3 to 6.

“The new group can facilitate collaborative engagement between stakeholders in mining projects, between countries in the same region and between mining companies with mutual interests,” says SRK chairperson and corporate consultant Roger Dixon.

He says the new group complements the company’s existing technical consulting offerings.

“The new multidisciplinary strategy and policy group will add value to the mandates of governments, corporations, investment funds, communities, donor agencies and other stakeholders by ensuring a collaborative, win-win approach to mineral development in Africa,” states Dixon.

Further, he says the new group will be particularly valuable to large, complex projects, which require infrastructure coordination. It will also draw on SRK’s considerable expertise in sustainable resource development on the African continent.

“Our team of highly qualified and seasoned practitioners will offer macro-level insights into minerals governance policy, including the legal and financial aspects of developing and implementing a minerals management policy,” highlights Dixon.

He adds that the new division will assist in facilitating engagement between government authorities, mining companies and aid agencies in the development of regional mining and fiscal policy.

Dixon notes that the new group will also assist companies in aligning their corporate long-term operational horizons, with the development priorities of host countries and communities to earn and maintain a social licence to mine.

“The new group will facilitate in helping companies develop successful strategic outcomes for their projects through collaborative planning, compliance, implementation moni- toring and social skills,” he asserts.

Meanwhile, SRK believes that long-term economic value in minerals projects can be achieved “when environmental and social issues are built into company strategy and not externalised, which can help clients unlock and sustain long-term economic value”.

Indaba Importance

Dixon tells Mining Weekly that he thinks the Mining Indaba is the premier event in Africa as far as the mining industry is concerned.

“For SRK, as a leading global consultancy with its roots in Africa, it is imperative that we display our many and varied services for such a large gathering. The indaba is unique, as it brings together many of our clients from the financial world and the minerals industry. Most importantly, it attracts government representatives from many of the African countries in which we operate,” he notes.

SRK has been attending the Investing in African Mining Indaba since 2002.

“We do not have specific goals for the indaba, but we aim to meet many government representatives from the African continent. We will meet with existing clients to build on those relationships and will, of course, also aim to meet prospective new clients. In today’s ‘wired’ world, it is good to meet people face-to- face and get to know them better,” says Dixon.

SRK hopes to contribute to a sustainable future for Africa’s resources sector, fuelled by African skills and expertise.

“SRK also hopes that all South African industry stakeholders will make a positive contribution to the indaba and give mining companies and investors some confidence that the country still has what it takes to deliver a thriving mining industry. This means creating a mining sector that delivers shared value to all its stakeholders, not just a chosen few,” he emphasises.

Dixon says that private- and public-sector representatives should take the opportunity that the indaba offers to talk candidly about the best way forward for the African mining industry.

“We all need to seek innovative strategies to build more effective collaboration in the sector, as the mining industry does have the potential to deal with Africa’s most pressing challenges. However, we are falling short by focusing on our narrow interests, when we, as mining companies and service providers, plan and strategise only for our specific projects, without considering the broader industry picture,” he stresses.

“The indaba creates a forum where exciting ideas and plans can be exchanged and, provided industry players are willing to show courage in constructively dealing with the many challenges that the African continent faces, we can all bring about meaningful solutions,” Dixon concludes.