Australia-based pri- vately owned multi- disciplinary consult-ing company CSA Global will exhibit at this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba to draw attention to its expanded global coverage, following the establishment of its Johannesburg office in June 2012.

CSA Global MD Jeff Elliott notes that this is the company’s first permanent office on the African continent.

“We believe that our new offices will provide the level of support and local skills that our clients have come to expect from us,” he says.

Elliott notes that the company has been attending the Investing in African Mining Indaba, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, for many years.

“The event has grown to become the leading mining-resources industry conference in Africa. It simply cannot be missed,” states Elliott.

He says events such as the Mining Indaba are important, as they present the African mining industry to investors, miners, consultants and industry suppliers that might otherwise not have been able to network so directly with people who have knowledge of the current trends in African mining and of the current political, industrial and socioeconomic aspects of the industry.

Elliott notes that CSA Global is preparing for the event, which will run from February 4 to 7, by liaising with its global network of colleagues and clients who will be in attendance at the Indaba to line up meetings, network and introduce its new African team.

“We look forward to spreading the word about our new offices in Johannesburg, as well as in Vancouver, Canada, which are aimed at growing the company’s global footprint,” he says.

However, Elliott notes that the African mining industry is not without its challenges.

“The two main challenges facing the industry include the resurfacing of policy discussions geared towards nationalising assets and protecting countries’ mineral wealth. This is understandable in developing nations, but it can also be counterproductive when international investors and mining companies choose to go elsewhere, owing to sovereign risk.

“The other challenge relates to industrial risk. As has been reported in South Africa in the media during the last 12 months, mining companies are coming under increasing pressure from the threat of industrial action. This, combined with the general risk associated with working in some parts of Africa, owing to civil unrest, remoteness and health issues, make working in Africa challenging,” he says.

“However, for those who are willing to face the challenge, the rewards are great,” enthuses Elliott.

“For the almost 30 years that we have been working in most of the regions in Africa on all types of projects, we have endeavoured to stay informed, vigilant and careful and to stick to our values of care, respect and integrity. And, as long as we do so, we will always be adaptable to the ever-changing landscape of Africa,” he says, noting that the future of the African mining industry is bright overall.

“We continue to see posi- tive changes in many nations, which encourage mining companies and mining inves-tors to pursue and develop business opportunities.”

Going forward, Elliott says CSA Global plans to expand worldwide.

“We see that our clients require our services more and more in the developing regions, such as the former Soviet Union States, Africa, East Asia and Latin America.

“To best service these regions, we plan to gradually cement a permanent presence in major centres. We make growth moves when the time is right for us. Russia and the surrounding regions, as well as Latin America, represent significant markets to which we are looking to grow our presence,” he says.