Drawing on his experience across Southern Africa, he explores why these relationships are under pressure today, the root causes when partnerships fail, and what it takes to move from a compliance-driven approach to true collaboration.

Werner also discusses how risk and governance should be structured, the role of shared infrastructure, community development, and regional alignment, and what lasting value looks like for mines reaching maturity or closure.

Looking ahead, he reflects on the indicators that would signal genuinely mature, resilient mining–government partnerships across Africa.