Mzila Mthenjane
CEO Minerals Council South Africa
Mr. Mzila Mthenjane (“Mzila”) is the CEO of the Minerals Council South Africa, the lobby and advocacy group whose members represent 90% of South Africa’s mineral output and employment. He was previously the Executive Head for Stakeholder Affairs at Exxaro Resources Limited. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the resources business, which has been attained in the mining and financial services sectors. He has held various board positions as non-executive director in various entities including Pamodzi Gold Limited, Fraser Alexander, and Merafe Resources. Most recently, he was on the Exxaro Board, intimately involved in stakeholder engagements and strategy. He is the current Chairman of the Board of the Impact Catalyst and is the former Chairman of the Wits University Mining Engineers Association and the former President of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr. Mthenjane holds a BSc degree in mining engineering from the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) and he has completed various leadership development training including the Senior Management Development Programme from the Graduate Institute of Management and Technology (GIMT). In addition, he has completed the ABSIP leadership programme with GIBS and Advanced Management Programme, with INSEAD. His leadership acumen has greatly benefited his current role, drawing on his experiences in building and retaining harmonious yet robust relationships with Exxaro’s diverse stakeholder groupings. These stakeholders included employees, customers, investors, legislators, communities, traditional leaders, the media, unions, and civic organisations. In parallel, he advised the Exxaro leadership on the dynamics and changes within the external environment and their possible impact on the business. He is credited with successfully leading the development of Exxaro’s sustainable impact approach, as well as establishing Exxaro’s ESG narrative for stakeholder engagement. Through his leadership, Exxaro has remained among the top performers for integrated reporting, as acknowledged by local and offshore ratings agencies.
2026 Agenda Sessions
Reimagining mining partnerships through empathy (Part 1)
Step into the “veil of ignorance” – an experiment CEOs speakers temporarily shed their identities and biases to adopt the roles of other stakeholders in the mining ecosystem.
From community leaders and regulators to industry bodies and investors, each CEO will embody a perspective not their own, challenging assumptions and fostering deeper understanding.
Through moderated dialogue and immersive role-play, the session will explore:
- How decisions might shift if stakeholders were unaware of their own position or power
- What true partnership looks like when empathy precedes strategy
- How this exercise can inform more inclusive policy, investment, and operational frameworks
Tuesday 10 February 09:00 - 09:40 Table Mountain Stage (CTICC1 - Ground Floor - Exhibition Hall)
Leadership
Step into the “veil of ignorance” – an experiment CEOs speakers temporarily shed their identities and biases to adopt the roles of other stakeholders in the mining ecosystem.
From community leaders and regulators to industry bodies and investors, each CEO will embody a perspective not their own, challenging assumptions and fostering deeper understanding.
Through moderated dialogue and immersive role-play, the session will explore:
- How decisions might shift if stakeholders were unaware of their own position or power
- What true partnership looks like when empathy precedes strategy
- How this exercise can inform more inclusive policy, investment, and operational frameworks
Reimagining mining partnerships through empathy (Part 2)
Step into the “veil of ignorance” – an experiment where CEOs temporarily shed their identities and biases to adopt the roles of other stakeholders in the mining ecosystem.
From community leaders and regulators to industry bodies and investors, each CEO will embody a perspective not their own, challenging assumptions and fostering deeper understanding.
Through moderated dialogue and immersive role-play, the session will explore:
- How decisions might shift if stakeholders were unaware of their own position or power
- What true partnership looks like when empathy precedes strategy
- How this exercise can inform more inclusive policy, investment, and operational frameworks
Tuesday 10 February 09:40 - 10:20 Table Mountain Stage (CTICC1 - Ground Floor - Exhibition Hall)
Leadership
From community leaders and regulators to industry bodies and investors, each CEO will embody a perspective not their own, challenging assumptions and fostering deeper understanding.
Through moderated dialogue and immersive role-play, the session will explore:
- How decisions might shift if stakeholders were unaware of their own position or power
- What true partnership looks like when empathy precedes strategy
- How this exercise can inform more inclusive policy, investment, and operational frameworks
Progress through private sector partnerships: driving economic recovery
South Africa’s economic revival hinges on robust collaboration between the public and private sectors. This panel examines how strategic partnerships can unlock growth, strengthen resilience, and position the economy for long-term competitiveness – highlighting the pivotal role of the private sector, especially mining, in solving systemic challenges and building a resilient, competitive economy for the future.
Key discussion areas:
Logistics management and infrastructure recovery
Private sector involvement has begun to ease the logistics crisis, but what’s next? How can mining continue to drive improvements in rail and port systems as part of a broader recovery strategy?
Energy transition and transmission capacity
Partnerships between coal producers, private players, and government are critical to advancing two priorities: the just energy transition and expanding transmission infrastructure. How can these collaborations balance sustainability with economic imperatives?
Beneficiation and value addition
Creating an enabling environment for mineral beneficiation is essential to adding value locally and globally. What policies and partnerships will make this possible?
Tuesday 10 February 11:00 - 12:15 Red Sea Stage (CTICC1 – Level 1)
South Africa’s economic revival hinges on robust collaboration between the public and private sectors. This panel examines how strategic partnerships can unlock growth, strengthen resilience, and position the economy for long-term competitiveness – highlighting the pivotal role of the private sector, especially mining, in solving systemic challenges and building a resilient, competitive economy for the future.
Key discussion areas:
Logistics management and infrastructure recovery
Private sector involvement has begun to ease the logistics crisis, but what’s next? How can mining continue to drive improvements in rail and port systems as part of a broader recovery strategy?
Energy transition and transmission capacity
Partnerships between coal producers, private players, and government are critical to advancing two priorities: the just energy transition and expanding transmission infrastructure. How can these collaborations balance sustainability with economic imperatives?
Beneficiation and value addition
Creating an enabling environment for mineral beneficiation is essential to adding value locally and globally. What policies and partnerships will make this possible?
Minerals Council South Africa Opening Remarks
Thursday 12 February 09:15 - 09:20 Victoria Falls Stage (CTICC2 - Level 2)
Leadership
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