Mpho Makwana to step down as chair following his recent appointment as Non-Executive Chair, Nedbank Group Ltd

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, December 15. Hyve Group plc, the organisers of Investing in African Mining Indaba can share the recent news that Mpho Makwana, current Chair of the Mining Indaba Advisory Board, was appointed as Non-Executive Chair, Nedbank Group Ltd, on 2 December 2021. Given this development, Mpho has decided to step down as Chair of the Mining Indaba Advisory Board with immediate effect.

Mpho has served the Mining Indaba board with superb leadership and distinction over the last five years, overseeing the transition of Mining Indaba from previous ownership to Hyve Group plc. Mpho has been a tremendous ambassador for Mining Indaba and the South African business sector as a whole throughout these years. He has steered the Advisory Board through the year-on-year growth of the event, which is now the world’s largest mining investment gathering.

The Mining Indaba is the largest mining dialogue platform in Africa and the largest mining investment conference in the world. Hyve Group will continue to warmly welcome Mpho to Mining Indaba where he will, no doubt, share his expertise in future Mining Indaba editions’ dialogues on ESG, climate transition finance and leadership from the podium, and we would like to offer our unequivocal thanks and best wishes to Mpho as he begins this latest chapter in his distinguished career.

In consultation with the Mining Indaba Advisory Board, Hyve Group is delighted to announce that the new Chair of the Advisory Board is Mr Frans Baleni, appointed immediately. Frans will ensure the seamless continuity and leadership of the Advisory Board’s priorities in collaboration with Ms Noluthando Gosa, Mr Anthony Carroll, Mr Simon Ford, and Mr Tom Quinn who will support, as head of content for Mining Indaba, Mr Baleni as Co-Chair of the Advisory Board.

Simon Ford, Portfolio Director at Hyve Group, stated, “On behalf of myself, the Mining Indaba team and the collective industry, we extend a heartfelt thank you to Mpho for his fantastic contribution to the event’s success over so many years. Mpho has expertly led the event through a great period of growth and leaves us in a very strong position as we gear up for the 2022 Indaba. We are also extremely excited to welcome Frans into the position who joins with incredible experience within the African mining sector and a great desire to take the event to the next level”.

Mpho Makwana, Non-Executive Chair at Nedbank Group Ltd, stated, “Mining is the bedrock of Africa's industrial development. The Mining Indaba is the largest mining dialogue platform in Africa and the largest mining investment conference in the world; I hope over the years we have prepared a solid platform to for all key players to engage on strategic and critical success factors that will shape winning strategies for Mining on the African Continent. I look forward to observing, as a guest participant and friend of Mining Indaba, as it grows from great to even higher greatness with the Hyve Group team, together with the Advisory Board, this important world class platform which has for 28 years delivered successful exchanges between investors, policy makers, key stakeholders and the captains that drive creation of value in Mining Houses.”

Frans Baleni, new Chair of Investing in African Mining Indaba, stated, “I feel honoured to be appointed as Chair of the Mining Indaba Advisory Board. Mr Makwana has done excellent work and I will continue building on his legacy. We call on all the stakeholders to continue using this platform for the future of mining and economic development in Africa.”

Click here to view all members of the newly expanded Advisory Board.