Internationally recognised consultancy firm SMEC, part of the SMEC Group, officially launched its new Mining, Oil and Gas division at this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba and says it now realises how important location is at the event.

“Our stand was positioned in a corner of the exhibition hall, which meant that we did not have as many visitors as some of the more centrally located stands. This is something we will keep in mind for future Indabas.

“Nonetheless, the Indaba was successful for us and the launch of the brand generated a lot of interest on the exhibition floor and in the Australian lounge, where we were repre- sented,” says SMEC Mining, Oil and Gas divisional manager Gerrit Brits.

He says the division is excited to be part of the market and is negotiating a few African projects.

“The SMEC Group has been around for many years, but had not focused on mining up until last year, when we formed the division. The Indaba was valuable to us as Africa is our focus area, and it gave us the opportunity to meet with current and potential global clients, on a scale which is unparalleled at any other event,” says Brits.

He notes that the SMEC CEO Ross Hitt and the COO for the African region Tom Marshall, attended the event.

Future of the Industry

A topic that was frequently discussed at the Indaba was the future outlook for the African mining industry, Brits notes.

“Some people are optimistic in their out- look for the industry, for reasons such as poten- tial business deals and lucrative resource discoveries, while others are negative in their outlook because of recent labour disputes and failed projects. “There is a wide and varying spectrum of opinions throughout the industry.

“My outlook for the industry is generally positive. I think there are many opportunities opening up that make investors more willing to come to Africa.

“Further, basic commodities, such as iron-ore, manganese and coal, are the continent’s biggest drawcards, as they depend on demand and not on the world economy. This is an area we are focused on as a company,” he states.

Brits notes that Africa has many undiscov-ered and unexploited resources, which holds great opportunities for the industry.