Mining Indaba LLC, the organiser of the yearly Investing in African Mining Indaba conference and exhibition, say this year’s nineteenth Indaba is set to be the biggest yet, with expected delegate numbers exceeding 7 500.

“The 2012 Mining Indaba was our record-breaking year, with more than 7 020 delegates in attendance from more than 100 countries and territories worldwide.

“Our current projections show that we are on track to bring more than 7 500 professionals with a similar geographic composition [to the Indaba],” says Mining Indaba group marketing director Maria Palombini.

She says the delegates, who will be hosted at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from February 4 to 7, represent the scope of the event itself – the critical industries throughout the mining value chain.

“The delegates range from investors, project financiers, bankers, fund managers, analysts, executives and board members from large mining companies and mining service companies to Ministers and delegations from within and outside Africa, as well as other professionals with a stake in the industry,” she says.

Palombini adds that the Mining Indaba exhibition hall is also the largest to date, hosting 400 companies.

“The majority of the exhibitors will represent some of the world’s largest mining houses and other mining companies that are active on the continent, while the minority of exhibitors will include key service and solutions providers that are critical throughout the mining value chain, including logistics companies, transportation companies and heavy-machinery manufacturers and providers.

“The exhibiting companies hail from 30 countries across four continents,” she notes.

Palombini points out that the organisers’ goal for the 2013 Mining Indaba is to continue the standard it set in previous events.

“Our aim is to continue to bring together all the key stakeholders that have a vested interest in the further development and capitalisation of African mining. This event will serve as a central venue for deal making and deal discovery for global professionals.”

Palombini adds that delegates come to the event with one goal in mind – to explore investment opportunities on the continent and establish relations to finalise these deals – and this is what they can expect from the event.

In addition to being the largest ever, the nineteenth Mining Indaba will also introduce the industry to the first-ever recipients of the Mining Indaba Bursary Programme.

“This is an important objective of the event, not only to give back to the South African community, but also to provide opportunities for two underprivileged students with outstanding scholarship achievements, who want to realise their careers in the mining industry,” she says.

The bursaries, valued at $10 000 each, have been offered to Lindiwe Nyalunga, a third-year engineering student at the University of the Witwatersrand, and Hlulisani Mabege, a third-year student pursuing the same field of study at the University of Pretoria.

The bursary will cover tuition, books, accommodation, meals and other related academic expenses, like mine excursions, for this year.

“Through this bursary programme, we are part of the enduring effort to develop a model for successful skills development focused on sustainable practices. At the core of this bursary programme is the need for the development of the next generation of mining leaders. We are proud to have these students in attendance at the 2013 Mining Indaba and to help advance their careers and our industry,” says Palombini.

She says Cape Town was chosen as the location for the Mining Indaba because, apart from the beauty of the city and its climate, the CTICC has been an effective partner throughout the rapid growth of the event.

“We value management’s diligence in helping us welcome the world to this event, which, beyond its obvious advantages for the mining industry, is also advantageous for the local economy.”

For one week, delegates will occupy more than 20 000 hotel rooms for three nights, flood the local restaurants, host client parties and shop, adds Palombini.

“This directly drives revenue to the local economy and employment within the region,” she says, adding that the Mining Indaba organiser is looking forward to the event and has high hopes for its future growth.