Energy sector investment platform Energy Capital & Power (ECP) officially launched the African Critical Minerals conference and exhibition, in Johannesburg, on April 14. 

The launch event was attended by high-level mining and energy delegations from both the private and public sectors. This included Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) investment promotion director Botlhale Seageng, Council for Geoscience integrated geoscience development acting executive manager Willem Meintjies, and High Commission of Canada chief clerk Allan Edwards.  

The launch of the summit provided a preview of the upcoming African Critical Minerals Summit, which will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre on November 6 and 7. 

Hosted by the DMRE and organised by ECP, the summit is aimed at uniting African mining and energy policymakers, as well as companies and investors with global counterparts, to showcase investment opportunities within South Africa and Africa’s burgeoning critical minerals industry. 

“We are proud to hold Africa’s first critical minerals event this November. Africa’s resources are vital to the world’s future clean growth and what we do with these resources will define the future prospects of mining companies and economies in SADC and across Africa,” ECP senior director James Chester said at the launch. 

Seageng explored the investment landscape within South Africa’s mining sector and the role the African Critical Minerals Summit could play in growing the industry. 

“The summit will help us define our resources and how to exploit them. Defining what critical minerals are will be essential for Africa to implement a clear roadmap on how to maximise the exploitation and monetisation of these resources for value addition into economies,” he said. 

Chester said Africa’s resources were vital to the world's future clean growth.  

“What we do with these resources will define the future prospects of mining companies and economies in South Africa and Africa. The impacts on employment, on our global competitiveness here in South Africa, on our geopolitical position, could be transformative,” he said. 

Meintjies expanded on the role that improved research and development in the industry played in driving market growth. He believes that the optimisation of South Africa’s critical minerals sector starts with geology. 

“We have a lot of data and information around South Africa’s critical minerals reserves with our 120 years of operations. As a country, we are still defining, in the context of the energy transition, what our critical minerals are,” he noted, adding that there was growing demand for battery energy storage globally. 

“We are conducting a lot of research to identify the critical role we can play to help meet the growing demand.” 

Edwards highlighted the need for improved cooperation among global economies and stakeholders and emphasised Canada’s openness to partner with South Africa and Africa to enhance the exploration and exploitation of critical minerals insofar as it served to shape the global transition. 

“The launch of the summit is key for South Africa and Africa to partner with the world. Canada identified 31 key critical minerals which we will work with the world to monetise and exploit. We hope South Africa can follow that lead. It is very critical that South Africa and Canada, as superpowers in mining of critical minerals, cooperate and with global parties,” Edwards said. 

It is hoped the African Critical Minerals Summit will position Africa as a primary investment destination for critical minerals.  

“We're not going to get to where we want to be if we're not procuring critical minerals. We need to move forward on renewable energy. It is very critical that countries like Canada and South Africa, who are mining superpowers, are able to create a strategy to ensure that we maximise the potential. Canada stands ready to cooperate,” Edwards said.