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17 January 2020, the 2020 Investing in African Mining Indaba is only two weeks away and is promising to be even bigger than last year’s 25^th anniversary event. Attracting even more junior, mid-tier and major mining companies, investors as well as 2 heads of state, 35 African and 5 Non-African Ministers and providing a platform for increased connections, deal-making and investment opportunities.

This year’s programme and discussions are focused on forging the future direction of the African Mining industry. Under the theme ‘Optimising Growth and Investment in the Digitised Mining Economy’, key topics include green and sustainable technology, investment opportunities in African mining, resource nationalism, climate change and youth challenges.

Top 10 topics at Mining Indaba 2020:

1. Driving investment decisions in Africa’s mining sector
   • revisiting the fundamentals of the mining industry with next generation values
   • price volatility and the impact of mining investment for 2020 and beyond
   • increasing gold exploration activity in west Africa – what makes junior gold projects an attractive investment?
2. Tackling issues in the mining industry
   • achieving Zero Harm: approach to guarantee health and safety among workers and communities
   • land right issues, environmental and employment law, regulatory challenges and political uncertainty
3. Resource nationalism 
   • analysing and assessing exposure in current African markets and strategies to mitigate risk
   • rebalancing public and private relationship
   • how can governments increasingly find compromises that engender growth while allowing business to make significant profits?
4. Innovative solutions to increase the sustainable supply of battery metals

• leveraging precious metals to create economic stability and thriving communities
• what practices can end users and investors put in place to support sustainable mining practices?
• the rise of cobalt and where next for the mining code and mining under new administration in the DRC?
• examining China’s electrification strategy and its subsidies in African mining
• increasing copper production to boost Africa’s stake in the vital global battery market

5. Tackling the youth challenge:
   • how can the mining sector be an engine for development across Africa?
   • South African President Ramaphosa’s Youth Employment Services (YES) initiative: how can South African Mining leverage youth employment using this and how it is working?
   • wining back the millennial generation: how should mining companies position themselves to attract millennial investors?
6. Mapping Africa’s mining industry towards a sustainable future 
   • innovation technology and data management solutions for sustainable mining
   • rethinking mine rehabilitation
   • harmonising extraction and environment to change industry’s social image and ecological footprint
7. Technologyand its role in the industry
   • future of work and digitally skilled miners
   • automation hour: robotics, job creation and operation optimisation
   • digitised and supply chain and technology enablers
8. Climate change challenges and possible solutions
   • climate smart mining: African minerals for the low-carbon future
   • The legal framework of liability, insurance and sustainability 
9. Discussions with mining ministers across Africa and the globe 
   • the African Continental Free Trade Agreement: what are the implications of energy and mining?
   • responsible sourcing of African minerals: international co-operation, the role of financial institutions and effective frameworks
   • working together to drive sustainable economic development of the country through mining and energy sectors
10. What’s next?
    • Africa’s mining sector as an engine for development
    • reimagining mining: what does the future of work look like to you?

“Some of the new innovations for 2020 are really exciting, focusing on the digital revolution and evolution of technology in society and industry. We have extended the Mining 2050 programme to two days – looking at a broad scope of the way that technology is informing and changing the mining industry. We are welcoming more legal voices to the Mining Indaba, with a dedicated General Counsel Forum where general counsel from many of the major mining operations can meet with local South African and pan-African law firms,” said Tom Quinn, Head of Content, when speaking about the new editions to the programme for 2020